


Do Over

by BlackHunter666



Category: Scarecrow Series - Matthew Reilly
Genre: Battle Ready, Do over - Freeform, F/M, Gen, M/M, New Team Old Wounds, Reminders, Survival, fixing mistakes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-06-08 18:40:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 25
Words: 59,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6868846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackHunter666/pseuds/BlackHunter666
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every MR fan has those moments in the series that we didn't like. Whether we thought the characters deserved more background or thought a specific death was pointless, we all have moments we hate. </p><p>Well here I've written a fic to fix some of those plot issues. I'm doing my best to stay close to the original novels but I'm putting my own twist on things and glossing over the moments no one likes much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ice Station

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone has any suggestions for scenes/moments they'd like to see given the BH666 treatment, just leave them in the comments and I'll get onto them as soon as I can get the muse going.

Blinking the shadows from their eyes, a strange collection of friends looked around at their location, trying to work out just what the hell was going on. Their lives had been strange since connecting with one particular member of the team but this was taking things to a completely new level of strange.

Armed with a wide assortment of weaponry, wearing all sorts of different outfits, they could only guess the reasons behind their arrival at this particular location, familiar to some members of the group, but to others it was just plan bizarre. Strangely of all, two men in snow fatigues were openly staring at each other, unable to believe they were face to face after so many years.  
'Dad?' the younger one asked, eyes blown wide in wonder.  
'Bucky? Is that really you?' the older one uttered, shaking his head in disbelief. 'I should have known you'd follow my footsteps.'  
'Devil Dog to the core.' Buck Riley junior grinned, stepping closer to his father. 'It's good to see you again dad.'  
'You too Bucky.' Buck senior agreed, drawing his son into a warm hug.

Leaving the pair to their reunion, Shane Schofield strode over to another pair, a few steps from the main group. He recognised this location and remembered the original situation in his location but six members of the group here hadn't been present for the original challenge here.  
'Alright Scarecrow, what's the deal here?' Aloysius Knight asked, pulling his jacket tighter. 'It's fucking freezing in here.'  
'No real surprise there Knight, we're in Antarctica. I don't know exactly what's going on but if the original Book Riley is here, we're back at Wilkes Ice Station. This was his last mission before he dies a gruesome death.' Shane shrugged, running one finger against the collar of his grey turtleneck, checking his sniper protection was in place.  
'You're saying you've already done this mission before?' Rufus asked, shouldering out of his long coat and draping it around Aloysius. 'Come on, we've done cold weather work before.'  
'I'll be fine once we get moving, this waiting around isn't helping me stay warm.' Aloysius groused, bundling up in the heavy coat.  
'Yeah, I've done this before. Mother and Fox were the only other Marines to make it out with me, along with a couple of civilians and a fur seal. Something is definitely wrong though, the last time around this place was destroyed by a British fired nuke.' Shane nodded, looking around the group again. 'We had a lot of trouble with supposed allies.'  
'Which supposed allies?' Aloysius asked, working on attack strategies and battle plans.  
'French and British, specifically the First Marine Parachute Regiment from France and the British SAS with their damned nitrogen charges.' Shane replied, turning to look when a decidedly feral growl filled the air. 'Yes Baba, you heard me correctly. We're about to get into a war with your countrymen. It's your choice what you do from here on out.'  
'Baba, think about this. We're going to need your strength here; this is the mission where I lost my leg. If anyone can be there when I get too close to those fuckin whales again, it's you.' Mother added, one hand on Baba's shoulder.  
'My cousin, he's here somewhere.' Renard uttered, running over to grab Shane and spin him around. 'We have to save Luc from the SAS men.'  
'No Renard, we have to stick as close to the original mission as possible. If you want to risk your life to save your cousin so be it but by that time I'll be busy trying to save a lot more lives. I cannot afford to change the rules on this one, there is too much at stake.' Shane replied, brushing her hand off his shoulder. 'I will not risk my friends for a man with the innocent blood of American civilians on his hands.'

Sensing that things were about to get out of hand, the fourth woman in the group stepped up and grabbed Renard around the waist, hauling her away from Shane before coming back and standing tall in front of the older Lieutenant. Smiling softly as he recognised her, Shane nodded and offered his hand. She was dressed in the same snow fatigues as the rest of the Marines in the group, her armour customised with a diving peregrine Falcon on the back of her helmet.  
'It's good to have you back around Hunter. I'll keep a closer eye on you this time, you won't be left behind again. Whatever happens, you'll get off this frozen wasteland this time.' Shane promised, remembering his junior-most Sergeant from the first time he'd done this mission.  
'We'll see what happens Scarecrow. I got off it last time after finding a severely damaged black hovercraft abandoned on the ice and limping it to Casey Station. This time, well we'll just have to see what happens.' Hunter shrugged, shaking Shane's hand warmly. 'But before we even start this mission, perhaps it'd be handy to ID everyone involved. I'd hate to shoot a friendly by mistake.'

Nodding slowly, Shane whistled sharply for attention, waving the group back in close. They'd wandered into their own little groups, talking quietly and figuring out what to do next. Gathering together, Shane took a moment to look the group over before smiling faintly, overall quite happy with the group he had available.  
'Okay people, things are going to go to hell once we leave this room so let's get a few things straight from the beginning. For those that are doing this mission for the first time, our first enemies are French special forces from d'Urville. Later the British SAS will come to cause us an even bigger problem. And just when you think it can't get any worse, this place will be turned into an iceberg by demolition charges placed in the ice by the SAS then hit by a British nuclear warhead fired from a British aircraft. Once we step out of this room, the only people we can truly trust are the ones standing here in this room right now. There will be other Marines out there but they won't survive this mission, only three Marines escaped this mission alive.' Shane briefed, locking eyes with Buck Snr for a moment. 'To prevent trouble once we're out there, let's just take a minute to get to know each other by sight and callsign so we don't have any accidental shootings of friends.'  
'Lance-Corporal Elizabeth Gant, Libby, USMC. Callsign Fox.'  
'Sergeant Gena Newman, USMC. Callsign Mother.'  
'Sergeant Emily Hunter, USMC. Callsign Falcon.'  
'Staff Sergeant Buck Riley Snr, USMC. Callsign Book.'  
'Sergeant Buck Riley Jr, USMC. Callsign Book II.'  
'I can already see some confusion here Scarecrow.' Aloysius warned, gazing at the Riley's. 'Two callsigns that close is a problem on the radio.'  
'Easy fix.' Riley senior nodded, glancing at his son. 'I can always go back to my old callsign, from before Book. Back then I was Rogers, my DI thought it was funny.'  
'Now there's a blast from the past.' Mother remarked, shooting the pair a fond smile.  
'Back on track here people. Let's get these ID's done so we can get busy.' Shane warned, listening for any sounds from outside their hiding place. 'Knight?'  
'Captain Aloysius Knight, ex-Delta. Callsign Black Knight.'  
'2nd Lieutenant Rufus McKenzie, ex-NightStalker. Callsign Alley Cat.'  
'Veronique Champion, DGSE. Callsign Renard.'  
'Master Sergeant Jean-Claude François Michel Huguenot, First Parachute Regiment. Callsign Le Barbarian or Baba.'

A mixed up bunch of various Special Forces and abilities, the group were reasonably sure of a victory, if they could just stick to the original running of this mission. But with extra personal and their own styles, there was no way to be certain of sticking to that original. But so long as the basic flow of the mission went as close to the same as possible, Shane reasoned that things would be okay and he wouldn't lose any more friends than the last time around.  
'Okay people, let's get this job done. Watch out for each other and we should do fine.' Shane nodded, unshouldering his MP-5 and heading for the heavy door.  
'Huh, I just realised something.' Rufus remarked, turning to Aloysius. 'Technically you're the top officer in the group, the Scarecrow's only got 1st Lieutenant Insignia.'  
'If my dates are right, in about five hours I go from Captain to Bounty Hunter so don't be putting ideas in his head Rufus.' Aloysius replied, checking his watch quickly. 'Correction, five hours and 45 minutes. The point stands Rufus.'  
'I'm just saying. A bit of a Delta spin on this to change things up.' Rufus shrugged, drawing his pistol and chambering a round.  
'Here, you can't go out there with nothing but a pistol. Take this, I've got a spare.' Emily grinned, offering out one of the two MP-5's slung over her shoulders and several magazines.  
'It's a pea shooter but it'll have to do.' Rufus shrugged, securing his pistol and taking the machine pistol. 'I'll keep my eye out for something more suited to a guy of my stature.'  
'Do not even think about it.' Baba growled, hoisting his massive Kord in readiness.  
'There is such a thing as oversized weaponry Baba.' Rufus shrugged, checking the smaller weapon quickly. 'Couple of M-16's would be nice, I'm comfortable with them.'  
'I know where you'll be able to find one, eventually. Apart from that, steal from the French enemies, they had some reasonable gear.' Shane guided, cracking the door open. 'Here we go people, let's get the job done.'


	2. IS - First Battle

Emerging from the room, the team of ten found they were scattered throughout the top level of the station, the old hands taking charge and leading the new arrivals to the story right into the thickest of the action.

Up on A deck, Shane found himself backed in against Knight's side, Libby just out of their range with an arrow in her helmet. Ducking Latissier's heavy fire, Shane reminded himself that Libby survived this mission and reached for calm, refusing to put anyone else at risk.  
'Alley Cat, where are you?' Aloysius asked, whipping up his pistols and returning fire into the dining room. Latissier's rounds might have been making a mess of the walls but Knight's made a bigger mess.  
"I'm with Rogers and company. You?" Rufus replied, calm and collected despite the chaos.  
'I've got Scarecrow's back, we're right near the dining room taking some heavy fire.' Aloysius returned, yanking Scarecrow back when one of the Frenchmen fired a small crossbow at them, narrowly missing Shane's right eye. 'confirmed, we've got French special forces in the complex. Crossbows at the ready.'  
"well that's just fucking great. What is this, the medieval wars?" Hunter countered, a great booming noise in the background.  
'Montana. You okay?' Shane asked, looking towards where Montana was huddled in the west tunnel. He was lucky to be alive and he knew it. He'd been standing right beside Samurai when Latissier opened fire. Now Lau was on the ground dying an agonising death, just about cut in half.  
"check that, Scarecrow. I'm a little shook up but I'm okay." Montana confirmed, just about jumping out of his skin when Emily came up behind him.  
"I'll keep an eye on him Scarecrow." Emily promised, leaning forward and opening fire.  
'check that, Falcon.' Scarecrow nodded, fairly sure Emily would keep Montana safe for a while.

Watching Libby coming around slowly from the force of that arrow to the head, Aloysius thought for a second, going over what he knew of her career and life. He knew that she'd meant a lot to Scarecrow when he'd been dragged into the bizarre life that Scarecrow led but at this point, clearly years before that meeting, Knight didn't know the story.  
'this is Scarecrow, this is Scarecrow. Fox is still alive. I repeat, Fox is still alive. But she's out in the open. I need cover so I can go out there and get her. Confirm!' Schofield called, looking up when Knight squeezed his shoulder.  
'I'll get her Scarecrow, I owe her at least one rescue that works out.' Knight uttered, covering his mic as he spoke.  
"Hollywood, check that!"  
"Rebound, check that!"  
"Montana, check that!"  
"Rogers, check that!" it was going to take some getting used to calling Riley Snr Rogers but it was a minor problem. "you're all clear Scarecrow, go."  
'all right, then, now!' Aloysius yelled, breaking cover and scrambling onto the catwalk.

Hustling to where Libby had fallen, Aloysius took a few moments to check her over, briefly contemplating yanking the arrow from her helmet once he was sure it hadn't done her any serious harm. But knowing time was tight, he dismissed the idea and hooked Libby up and onto his shoulders in a standard fireman's carry.  
'come on Fox, let's get you out of here.' he uttered, drawing one of his pistols and heading back to where Schofield was waiting.  
"Knight! Heads up!" Emily's voice in his ear jolted him into action and he whipped his pistol up. Spotting a daring Frenchman peeking out from a hole blasted right through the dining room wall with his rifle raised, Aloysius snarled and fired twice.

Knight was only using 9mm rounds, a big step down from most of the rounds flying all over the place but these weren't normal rounds, he was using his favourite bullstoppers. The Frenchman hiding behind the wall was torn apart, one round hitting him in the head and the other in the throat. He was dead before the bullstoppers worked their magic, tearing a massive hole in the back of his head before the second round ripped right through his throat, decapitating the body.  
"get out of there, Knight! Move!" one of the Riley's yelled, Knight couldn't tell them apart by voice.  
'I'm almost there!' Aloysius shot back, holstering his pistol and picking up the pace.  
"Marine Force, this is Snake. I am still at my post outside. I report that I now have visual on six more hostiles exiting the second French hovercraft. I repeat I am looking at six more armed men disembarking the French hovercraft and approaching the main entrance of the station." Whoever Snake was to the team, he seemed to be the sniper if the sharp retort that followed his words was anything to go by. "Marine Force, this is Snake. Make that five more hostiles approaching the main entrance of the station."

Stuck out on the catwalk, Aloysius had a bad feeling that he'd have to do something crazy to get out of this tight spot. With more French assholes entering, Aloysius couldn't risk going back to Shane's position and he couldn't go the other way, not without risking both their lives.  
'Scarecrow! Get out here, I've got a plan!' Knight called, ducking as the ice beside his head exploded. Dropping to one knee, he eased Libby down and yanked both pistols, returning fire and providing some cover for Shane as well.

Trusting Aloysius to watch his back, Shane ran out to them and checked Libby was okay even as he kept one eye on the Frenchmen hanging around.  
'what's the plan?' Shane asked, firing off several angry rounds.  
'Maghook into the wall and over the side.' Aloysius replied, fully aware of what Shane's special piece of kit could do.  
'it won't hold all three of us.' Shane corrected, yanking out his Maghook and firing it at the wall. The bulbous head punched right through the wall and locked into place, immoveable for now.  
'take Fox and bail, I'll be right behind you. Trust me, this isn't the craziest shit I've done.' Aloysius shot back, dropping both empty mags and reloading quickly.  
'I hope you know what you're doing.' Shane uttered, looking down when Libby stirred and groggily sat up. 'c'mon Fox, we're getting out of here.'  
'wha - I missed something?' Libby asked, trying to pull her scrambled mind back together.  
'no time to explain, get out of here.' Aloysius snarled, dodging a flying bolt from another French crossbow. 'move it Scarecrow!'  
'grab my shoulders.' Scarecrow instructed, pulling Libby close and resting his butt against the railing. 'hold tight.'

Holstering his pistols the moment Scarecrow and Fox were off the walkway, Aloysius looked back towards the entrance tunnel and saw shadows moving quickly over the walls, heading his way. Leaping to his feet, Aloysius did the only thing he could, he vaulted over the railings and dropped, plunging towards the pool at the bottom. He half expected to do some serious damage to his body with this jump, 70 feet into icy water was a stupid plan but he had no other options. Trying to stay relaxed, Aloysius jerked to a sudden stop far short of the water. Looking up, he cracked a grin and reached out to take the hands reaching over the railing. A heave and a hoist later and he was on the B-deck walkway, right underneath where he'd leapt from A-deck.  
'never doubted you for a moment, buddy. There's a reason you're the Alley Cat.' Aloysius grinned, looking up at Rufus.  
'do that again and I won't catch you.' Rufus growled, swatting Aloysius up the back of the head. 'I always knew you were an idiot.'  
'not a lot of choices for that escape. I did what I had to do.' Aloysius shrugged, falling into place behind Riley Snr. 'someone else is gonna have to get on Scarecrow, I fell short on the jump.'  
"Montana is secure, moving for the intercept." Emily replied, calm in the chaos.  
"I have Montana." Renard added, surprising everyone who heard her.


	3. IS - Fire On The Ice

Helpless to do anything right at that moment, Emily could only look out over Shane and Libby, staring in horror as B-deck burned, rivets raining down on the C-deck catwalks. Hearing the rending metal, Emily gulped and grabbed Shane and Libby by their body armour, yanking them back a fraction further into their cramped little alcove.

Up on B-deck, Jean-Claude dropped his Kord and ripped off his flaming jacket, tossing it over the railing and moving to extinguish the fire on Mother's fatigues. She did most of the work but he was able to get the spots she couldn't reach. Suddenly Mother turned and belted Jean-Claude across the back of the head and he froze, wondering why. Then he smelt it and smiled behind his beard, finding it hard to mind the pain as Mother smacked him again, crushing spot fires between her hand and his head. Feeling a minor jolt of the catwalk, Baba knelt and resecured the shoulder harness for his Kord, locking the weapon back into its ready position and looking for an escape. 

On the other side, Aloysius grabbed the screaming scientist Warren Conlon and ripped Rufus' jacket off in one smooth movement, using the heavy cloth to put out the hair fire before it was yanked from his hands. Clinging to the edge of the heavy coat, Rufus spun and wrapped it around Abby Sinclair's legs, helping Buck Snr with the last of the flames there. Tugging the coat back, Aloysius bundled Kirsty up in it, putting her out and letting her know it was okay all in one smooth movement. Looking up at him, Kirsty gasped and pointed to a smaller flame taking root on Aloysius' webbing. Rufus got to it first, one meaty paw slamming down on the flame before it took anything more than the webbing.

The high pitched squeal of metal rending scared everyone up on B-deck; they all knew this was going to be a frightening ride that could result in a lot of casualties. The entire catwalk - the whole, flaming circle - just fell away, dropping with a sudden jolt, taking everybody who was still on it down with it. Reaching desperately for a handhold, Rufus came flying off the broken end and shot into open air, looking up just in time to see the rest of his group come flying off in a big tangled mix but he couldn't see the little girl or Buck senior in the mix.  
'Fuck, this is going to hurt.' Aloysius called, bringing both hands to his face.  
'No worse than Siberia!' Rufus shot back, curling up into a tight ball seconds before he hit the water.

Hearing the desperate scream of a terrified little girl, Emily abandoned her post with Shane and Libby, running hard along the C-deck catwalk. She didn't care about the French anymore, she had to try and help that little girl before she too went into the icy water far below. An adult could survive a 50 foot fall but a child, it was too dangerous to consider.

Coming back to the surface, Baba spat out a mouthful of water and checked his Kord was secure before looking around, trying to remain calm. He saw Mother and one of the other Marines off to his left, along with a dead Marine and Buck junior, Rufus and Aloysius were off to his right, further away but still close enough to be of use if things went to hell again. Scanning the pool, he watched one of his countrymen swimming desperately for the other side of the pool, far from the Marines and the killer whales circling under them. Swallowing the bile rising in his throat when he was violently attacked by one of the whales and dragged under the water with tremendous force, Baba looked over at Mother and nodded, ready to face this challenge.

But rather than nod back, Mother raised her MP-5 and flicked the safety off, looking down into the water for something. Shocking with its suddenness, one of the whales exploded out from beneath the water, right between Mother and Baba. Turning onto its side in mid-air, half of its massive body clear of the water, the whale turned and crashed into the body of the dead marine floating just there, bones crunching between its teeth before it was gone. Turning sharply in the water, Baba swam for his life, racing for the nearest pool edge.

Oblivious to the dangers below, Emily sprinted hard towards Buck Snr and the little girl, now dangling from the hood of her parka as Riley clung to the very end of the damaged walkway section. There was no way that detachable hood was going to hold much longer, Emily could clearly see that at least half of it had given already.  
'God damn it! Can't anybody help me!' Buck Snr yelled, desperately trying to come up with the right answer to his current mess.  
'Hang in there Rogers, I'm almost there.' Emily replied, totally focused on Kirsty and Buck Snr.  
'Hurry! We're down to two buttons!' Buck Snr called, trying not to think about how he was supposed to get out of this mess even once Kirsty was out of his hand.

Picking her angle carefully, Emily did the most surprising thing possible. Without a second of hesitation, she vaulted out over the railing of C-deck, catching Kirsty just moments after the last button to her hood let go. Clutching the child to her chest with one hand, Emily reached over her shoulder and drew her Maghook, firing it back towards the C-deck catwalks. Shooting over the railing, the powerful head hit the wall and burrowed in deep, catching their fall.  
'Hold on real tight now sweetie, it's just like a giant playground swing.' Emily soothed, wrapping both arms around Kirsty and tapping the clamp button.

From where he was standing, Shane could only watch, jaw slack in disbelief as Emily and Kirsty swung in towards D-deck, Emily using her legs to pivot them around so her back collided with the wall first. Sinking to the catwalk, Emily retracted the head of her Maghook and checked Kirsty was alright before standing and raising one hand in triumph.  
"Very nice work Falcon." Scarecrow praised, stunned by the crazy stunt she'd pulled and amazed it had worked.  
'I can't believe that actually went to plan.' Emily replied, jogging along the walkway with Kirsty.  
"Get down to E-deck to help our people out of the pool." Scarecrow instructed, getting back to the job at hand.


	4. IS - Fighting Whales

Swimming hard, Baba reached the edge and was just starting to climb out when he heard Mother cry out in pain. Turning in the water, Baba headed for her, drawing his .45 pistol. Keeping the weapon underwater, Baba got close and fired two shots before holstering his pistol and grabbing Mother's uninjured arm, leading her towards the deck.  
'Move it, Mother! Pick it up, baby!' the other Marine called, safely up on the deck.  
'Go Baba, I'll be right behind you. Rebound ain't strong enough.' Mother gasped, shaking her hand free and swimming hard. Nodding once, Baba kicked ahead and heaved up onto the deck, soaking wet and icy cold but alive.

Watching in horror as the chasing whale opened its mouth and bit down around Mother's legs, Baba lunged forward, reaching desperately for her hand. Reaching out, the other Marine grabbed Baba by the belt, bracing his lunge out over the water. For a moment he had her then she was dragged under the water, her nails leaving deep scratches in his hand.

Further around the pool, Rufus swam as hard as he could but he seriously doubted that he would make it to the edge before one of the whales spotted them. Clinging to his side, helpless at the moment, Aloysius held on tight and kicked hard, trying to be useful.  
'I need some help here!' Rufus called, exhaustion creeping in as he kept going for the edge.  
'Come on Knight, swim!' Emily barked; busy hauling Buck Jr out of the water.  
'Go help them, I'll be okay.' Buck Jr nodded, getting up and moving away from the edge of the pool.  
'This is crazy.' Emily uttered, pulling out her Maghook again. 'Grab the line; I'll tow you in closer!'  
'Thanks Falcon.' Rufus replied, still trying for the edge on his own as Emily lined up and fired just to their right.

Grabbing the rope, Rufus convinced Aloysius to hold on tight and signalled to Emily before swimming as hard as he could for the edge. Aloysius hit first, releasing the rope and scrambling up onto the edge, pressing both hands to his eyes. Rufus scrambled out of the water a few moments later, grabbed Aloysius under the arms and hoisted him up before hustling away from the edge of the pool. Aloysius went willingly, trusting in Rufus completely.

Bursting from the bloody, frothy water, Mother was in the worst of moods but at least now she had one leg free and was using it to kick as hard as she could at the snout of the whale trying to make a meal out of her.  
'You motherfucker!' she screamed, lashing out desperately. 'I'm gonna fucking kill you!'  
'Mother, take my hand!' Baba called, reaching out for her with his bloody hand. Abruptly Mother shot towards them, the whale pushing her and creating a wash of white waves.

Smashing against the deck with a clang, Mother dug her fingers into the grating and held on tight, looking up at Baba sadly. She was afraid for her life, bravely trying to hide it but Baba knew. Dropping to his stomach, Baba wrapped both arms around Mother's abdomen, holding her tight and refusing to let go. This had an interesting side affect, the barrel of his secured Kord poked through the massive white teeth of the whale.  
'Fucking kill you! You son of a bitch!' Mother yelled through clenched teeth, one hand locked into Baba's shirt.

Tapping the other Marine with one foot, Baba turned his head to look at the younger man now crouched beside him.  
'Pull the trigger.' Baba instructed, rolling his shoulder to press the barrel of his Kord up against the top jaw of the whale.  
'What? That'll blow Mother's foot off.' he replied, looking at the gun warily.  
'Non, it is aimed up, away from her. It will kill the whale before it kills us.' Baba corrected, slipping forward when the whale pulled again.  
'Do it Rebound!' Mother demanded, struggling in a tug-of-war for her own body. 'Hurry, I can't do this forever.'  
'This is nuts.' Rebound uttered, finding the trigger and squeezing off a round.

It sounded like a bomb had gone off, the massive round tearing into the upper jaw and burrowing through to explode out the top of the head, blowing out a huge hole and splattering the trio with blood, brains, fat and bone. The force of the shot also shoved the whale back a few inches, the concussion wave mostly contained by its bulk. Mother caught some of the concussion wave, howling in pain but so very grateful to be alive. The whale wasn't so lucky, as the massive round from the Kord tore through its head, the killer convulsed violently backwards, snapping upwards. Then it just fell limply back into the water amid a cloud of its own blood, its final prize - garnered in the split second before it died - a portion of Mother's left leg. Everything from the left knee down.

Ignoring the chaos all around them, Baba lurched up onto his knees, dragging Mother out of the pool and onto the relative safety of the deck. Mother just grit her teeth and held on tight, trusting in Baba to save her as she had…would…whatever…saved him. Drawing Mother to his chest and slipping one arm under her thighs, Baba eased to his feet and retreated from the pool, Rebound running along behind them.

Sharing a quiet moment hidden in eastern tunnel, Rufus held Aloysius until he stopped shaking then reached inside his flight suit for one of the small steel cases kept in seven individual pockets across his chest, protected under Rufus' flack vest. Opening the case, Aloysius yanked off his trashed glasses and gratefully slid the replacement on, blinking slowly and looking up at Rufus. Smiling softly, Rufus hugged him again before they headed back to join up with the rest of the group and figure out what to do next.

Carrying Mother into a storeroom off the south tunnel, Baba eased her down and released his Kord harness again to rip his shirt off. Tearing it in half, he used that to wrap Mother's injured leg, so careful with her. He knew she was tough but he'd never known just how she'd lost her leg. Propped up against the wall, Mother smiled tiredly as she watched Baba work to stop the bleeding, Rebound offering the medical kit from his webbing and reaching for the kit Mother was carrying too. They were both sopping wet but Baba patiently wrung out as much of the water as he could and wrapped Mother's stump firmly.  
'You really know how to make a mess, don't you Mother?' Shane chuckled; appearing in the doorway and watching Baba tend to her.  
'It was a group effort.' Mother shrugged, pointing to the Kord resting nearby. 'Baba had hold of me, the Kord got between the teeth and Rebound pulled the trigger.'  
'Talk about a boom. That is one nasty piece of weaponry.' Rebound nodded, thoroughly impressed with that particular weapon.  
'How bad is it?' Emily asked, coming up behind Shane. 'I saw the brawl but I was a little busy dragging the others to safety.'  
'it's not good, I do not know how long this will hold. I tried but this was a fight we could not win.' Baba replied, indicating where blood had already leaked through his field dressing.  
'Here, this lot is at least dry.' Emily offered, tossing two more medical packs towards Baba.  
'Merci Falcon.' Baba smiled, turning his attention back to Mother.  
'So what's the plan now?' Aloysius asked, joining the group around Mother. 'And before you ask, Falcon, I have to try and live with photophobia, lose the glasses and I can't see a damn thing.'  
'Okay, everyone listen up. By my count these bastards are down to four now, plus the two civilians they brought along with them to jerk my chain. This has gone far enough. It's time to end it. We have a numerical advantage, nine against four plus the other Marines up top with Book Snr. Let's use it. I want a flush of this entire facility from the top down. I want these assholes pushed into a corner so we can finish them off without losing any more of our people. All right, this is how it's gonna happed. I want -'

Everyone looked up when something went thunk over their heads; it wasn't on this level so not an immediate threat…until the station was plunged into darkness.  
'Oh look at that, the frogs wanna play murder in the dark. No offence Baba.' Emily smirked, reaching for her night vision goggles.  
'None taken Emily.' Baba replied, lost in the dark without a set of goggles to use. 'This is one game I cannot play; I do not have any night vision goggles.'  
'Here take mine, I don't need them anymore. I'll be okay in here, you lot go find those assholes and slaughter 'em.' Mother offered, pulling out her goggles and reaching out to place them in Baba's offered hand. 'But get someone to look at that hand before you run off.'  
'It will be fine Mother; I have survived much worse than a few scratches from your nails.' Baba shrugged, adjusting the straps and setting his borrowed goggles into place.  
'Sit tight Mother, we'll be back for you.' Shane nodded, ready to finish this part and move on. 'Just hang in there. Rebound get the fluids running, give her a shot of methadone and catch up when you're done.'  
'Got it Scarecrow.' Rebound nodded, moving closer to Mother.  
'Go Baba, I'll be okay.' Mother sighed, settling back against the wall and trying to relax. 'This is nothing that a kiss from a fine young man couldn't fix.'  
'Maybe later, Mother.' Shane laughed, not really surprised by her comment.  
'I am not so young anymore but…' Baba chuckled, surprising everyone when he crawled up beside Mother and kissed her soundly.  
'Come on Romeo, we gotta go.' Emily teased, motioning for the rest of the team to go ahead.  
'You're still a fine man Baba.' Mother uttered, shoving him back. 'Now go, save the day and we'll talk when it's over.'


	5. IS - Dark Battle

With Scarecrow, Baba and Gant on one ladder headed up to D-deck, a trio of unusual companions hit the other ladder on the fly, racing up together. In the front, Aloysius held a crossbow he'd found on the deck, forgotten in the chaos of the falling deck and the killer whales. Behind him, Emily had two knives out, a K-Bar in her left hand and a definitely not standard issue knife in her stronger right. At the back, after a quick, on the fly lesson, Rufus held Emily's Maghook in his right, going over the basic instructions in his mind.

Moving quickly along the walkway, they mirrored Scarecrow's team on the other side, coming towards the ladder the upper team was flushing the French towards.  
"Flanking west, Sarge." For a moment, the newer arrivals to the mission wished they'd taken the time to learn the names of the other Marines in this situation.  
"Keep 'em coming, Cruz. Then send 'em down to the Scarecrow." Montana replied, still moving fast if the footfalls, just barely audible, were anything to go by.

Taking their places by the chosen ladder, careful to avoid getting into crossfire that could harm the other group, the six crouched and waited, everyone focused on the ladder. They listened to the heavy stomping of boots, heard the distinctive snap-phew of a crossbow firing and tensed in readiness, eager to end this and get on with the mission.  
'Marines! Eyes shut! Flasher on the ground!' Cruz yelled suddenly, startling the waiting team into motion. Eyes squeezing shut, faces turned away from the clunking landings of two grenades, they waited it out.

Hearing the distinctive sound of someone rappelling nearby, Aloysius spun and fired instinctively, the crossbow bolt racing into the darkness. Then someone grunted, out in the shaft and it was silent again, no body hit the deck or water below so it was a non fatal hit.  
"Ah shit! Sir! One of them just went over the railing!" Cruz warned, oblivious to the hit Aloysius had made.  
'We'll find him later; I hit him but missed the kill zone.' Aloysius replied, reloading his crossbow and returning his aim to the ladder.

Diving back when a volley of arrows thudded into the walls on both sides of the ladder, Aloysius came up onto one knee again and returned fire, this time managing to hit the third Frenchman on the ladder. The first two went in the other direction, heading for Scarecrow and company but the third one, mad as hell with Knight's bolt buried deep in his left shoulder, turned and ran at them, looking for another kill.

Springing to her feet, Emily hissed in pain and went down to her knees again, left hand coming up to press against her lower back. Reacting purely on combat instinct and training, Aloysius stood and moved to cover her, crossbow up and ready. Drawing aim on the enraged Frenchman, Aloysius fired at the same time as the other guy, the two projectiles crossing paths somewhere in the dark.

Smirking when he heard the other guy howl in pain, Aloysius grunted when the second bolt slammed into his exposed right thigh, burrowing in deep and dropping him to the deck with shock and pain. Stepping forward, Rufus lined up a shot but there was no time to fire, their opponent was on them, diving over Aloysius and Emily to tackle the pilot to the deck.

Rufus landed heavily, the Maghook bouncing from his hand as he went hard at the Frenchman sitting on him. Trading blows and rolling on the deck, they completely forgot about everyone else in the area. Then with shocking ferocity, the Frenchman was dragged off Rufus, his body bending into a rather unnatural position before he was thrown back the other way. Sitting up, Rufus found his dislodged night vision goggles and snapped them back into place just in time to watch Emily going hard at the frog.

Almost seeming to dance, Emily kept the Frenchman back from her companions easily, her knives light in her hands. Her opponent had managed to draw one knife but he was really struggling to hold back both her deadly blades. Spinning sharply, Emily batted his goggles off his head and spun her K-bar through her hand, driving it hard into his exposed left eye. Without missing a beat, she then spun the larger knife, reversing it from a backhanded grip to a forward grip and slashed across the unprotected neck of her enemy. With a roar of pure aggression and anger, Emily wrenched her hands apart and Rufus nearly lost his lunch.

Still firmly attached to her K-Bar knife, the decapitated head of the Frenchman was a gory trophy as the body fell to the walkway, dripping blood down onto E-deck in a gruesome fountain. Turning back to her companions, Emily slid her big knife out of sight and wrenched the head off her K-bar, casually tossing it over the railing.  
'Scarecrow, this is Falcon. We're going back to the med room, Knight took a shot.' Emily reported, sheathing her K-Bar and taking a knee beside Aloysius. 'Come on, let's get you to somewhere safe and patch you up.'  
"Check that, Falcon." Scarecrow replied, still busy dealing with another situation.  
'I can still walk.' Aloysius growled, sitting up and looking at the bolt impeded deep in his thigh.  
'Knock it off Captain, you walk on that and you'll do more damage.' Emily sighed, finding her Maghook on the walkway and firing it into the wall beside them. 'Come on, let's go.'

Helping Aloysius up and trapping her Maghook between them, Emily tipped them over the railing and dropped back to E-deck before sending the Maghook back up for Rufus. Catching the flying end, Rufus leapt over the railing and sailed down, showing that he could master a fairly complex bit of kit really quickly.

Making their way across the dark deck, trying to avoid the notice of any French assholes left in the area, Emily and Rufus practically carried Aloysius to safety, picking up the pace when they heard someone screaming above their heads. Hustling into the south corridor, they darted into the storeroom and deposited Knight beside Mother, careful not to bang his thigh around too much.  
'Rufus take this and stand guard. I can handle Knight, its okay.' Emily nodded, tossing across her Maghook again.  
'I don't mind company but shouldn’t one of you be watching out for Scarecrow?' Mother asked, unable to see them but she knew who was there anyway.  
'Baba's got him and any minute now, the Riley men will be returning to the main group. I just have this funny feeling we're about done with this fight.' Emily shrugged, examining the injury closely, K-bar in hand to slice through Knight's pants and the wetsuit underneath. 'Stay still Knight, this won't take long.'

Working fast, delving into the supplies she had to hand and showing that she was the kind of Marine to be ready for absolutely anything, Emily shoved Aloysius flat on his back, gave him a hit of a really strong local anaesthetic and went in after the arrow. In the chill of the room, with a patient that wasn't exactly patient, trying to see through night vision goggles while blood slicked her fingers, it wasn't an easy job but she had to get it done. Slapping her goggles up and pulling off her gloves, she went in again, using her bare fingers to find the areas she had to cut to get the projectile out.

Even when a god almighty boom roared in the drilling room 40 meters away, Emily stayed bent over Knight's thigh, the bloody projectile now in his lap as she sutured up the entry wound and her incision.  
'How's it…what the hell happened to you two?' Scarecrow asked, stopping in the doorway again.  
'Just a minute, I'm working blind here.' Emily replied, still hard at work.  
'I'll be fine Scarecrow; it's just a crossbow bolt to the thigh. Soon as Falcon is finished playing around, I'll be ready to leap back into the fighting.' Aloysius replied, wisely staying still.

Sitting up slowly, Emily tapped her goggles back down and reached for a third medpack she'd been carrying, making short work of dressing the double wound before sitting back on her knees and looking up at Scarecrow.  
'Next time Knight, don't go jumping in front of any paratroopers to save a Marine purposefully playing hurt.' Emily smirked, shaking her head slowly.  
'Not like you told me what you were up to.' Knight growled, reaching into his own webbing for a black roll of some sort. 'Seriously, did you have to cut through my wetsuit?'  
'Would you rather I ripped that bolt out and let you bleed? It might have missed the main artery but you nicked several other blood vessels.' Emily shrugged, packing up her gear and standing. 'I guess you heard the Falcon call in triumph.'  
'Oh yeah, we heard.' Libby nodded, coming up behind Shane. 'Sounded like you got a good one.'  
'No fucking kidding, she ripped his damn head off.' Rufus agreed, calming his queasy stomach. 'I've seen a lot of nasty shit in my life but that was gross.'  
'You don't know the half of it Alley Cat.' Emily replied, wiping her bloody hands on her uniform and pulling on her gloves.  
'Grab your gear and get up to A-deck, Falcon. See what you can do for Samurai.' Scarecrow instructed, recalling her training and smiling when he realised he had a second really good team medic available.  
'On it Scarecrow.' Emily nodded, shouldering her gear and taking off into the darkness.


	6. IS - Considerations

Exhausted and sore, Aloysius perched on a piece of debris from the destroyed B-deck and watched the two French scientists cuffed to a pole in clear sight of everyone. He didn't really need to sit guard over them but his thigh was burning and he needed to do something useful. Looking around slowly, he watched the rest of the group on E-deck doing their own things as well, everything running to Scarecrow's plan. Libby, Riley Snr and Rufus were prepping the dive gear, making ready to go down to the spaceship or whatever the hell was down there. Just near the mouth of the southern tunnel, Baba and Mother were sitting together, talking quietly and enjoying a chance to relax. Baba was still a little shaken up about having to kill his countrymen but he'd done an admirable job of it.

Turning to look at the sound of running feet, Aloysius was quite surprised to see Emily chasing Renard across the deck, the pair running for different reasons. Renard seemed happy and far to clean for Aloysius' liking. Emily was pissed off and covered in even more blood, Samurai must have been in really bad condition.  
'let him go Falcon, he's not a bad person. I will vouch for him, he is a good man.' Renard tried, trying to block Emily from getting any closer to the French scientists.  
'it's not my call Renard, I follow orders like everyone else. My orders are clear, Luc Champion saves my friend or he dies.' Emily replied, shoving Renard back again.  
'please Falcon, he is my cousin.' Renard pleaded, totally unfamiliar with the way Emily worked. Spinning around, Emily grabbed Renard and threw her into the pool in the middle of the station.  
'I don't care if he's the god damned Pope. My orders stand!' Emily snapped, turning and stalking over to the bound Frenchmen. 'come along now Monsieur Champion, there is a seriously injured Marine up top that needs your help. Know this, if Samurai dies I will not hesitate to kill you.'  
'I understand.' Champion nodded, allowing Emily to hustle him back up the ladders. Scrambling out of the pool, Renard gave chase again, still determined to rescue her cousin.  
'yeah, that's not gonna happen Renard. You don't know Hunter if you think you'll be able to win her around.' Knight uttered, going back to his watch.

Listening to Libby and Buck Snr discussing Scarecrow's life before he was a ground pounder, Rufus felt a new sense of connection to the ex-pilot. Losing your wings was the greatest shame for any pilot, no matter how it happened. Rufus had come close on a couple of occasions for disciplinary actions and causing fights. He didn't really cause any of the trouble but with so many people against him, most of the time he copped the blame anyway. Shaking his head to clear such thoughts, he glanced over to where Aloysius was sitting, lost in his own mind.  
'now's about the time we need another brawl to break out. He's started thinking about it.' Rufus muttered, turning back to the job he was supposed to be doing.  
'thinking about what, Rufus?' Libby asked, turning to him, her conversation with Buck Snr forgotten for the moment.  
'it ain't really my place to say, it's his painful burden and he doesn't like to share.' Rufus shrugged, looking over to Aloysius again. He'd moved from the wreckage of the deck and made his way over to the pool, looking down into the murky water.  
'is he going to jump in again?' Buck Snr asked, glancing at Rufus.  
'he'd better not, I just got dry.' Rufus growled, straightening up. 'don't even think about it, Boss. You go, I'm going in there after you and you know it.'  
'I wasn't planning on going in, buddy. I was just thinking, it'd be nice to throw Brandeis in there. Call it poetic justice.' Aloysius shrugged, turning away from the edge and hobbling towards Rufus.  
'everything okay Captain?' Libby tried, bending back to her task.  
'I'd rather not talk about it.' Aloysius replied, sinking down and leaning back against Rufus' leg.  
'don't push Fox, trust me on that.' Rufus warned, getting back to work quickly. 'it'll come out eventually, for now let him be.'

Rolling her shoulders, Libby straightened and turned to Buck Snr, a wistful yet sad look in her bright blue eyes. Dropping into a crouch, Rufus kept working but he also listened to everything going on around him, learning what he could to see them through this mission.  
'I'm twenty-six years old, Buck. Did you know that?' Libby sighed, sad and thoughtful as she spoke.  
'no.' Buck Snr replied, looking up the central shaft for a moment, searching for his son.  
'twenty-six years old. God. Did you know I was married once?' Libby continued, lost in her memories but this was obviously important to her.  
'no, I didn't.' Buck blinked, surprised to be getting a look into Libby's life before they'd met.  
'got married at the ripe old age of nineteen, I did. Married the sweetest man you'd ever meet, the catch of the town. He was a new teacher at the local high school, just arrived from New York, taught English. Gentle guy, quiet. I was pregnant by the time I was twenty.' everyone was silent as they watched Libby speaking. 'and then one day, when I was two-and-a-half months pregnant, I arrived home early to find him doing it doggy-style on the living room floor with a seventeen-year-old cheerleader who'd come around for tutoring.'  
'some guys you can't trust.' Aloysius muttered but no one looked at him, Rufus just squeezed his shoulder and kept working on the dive gear.  
'I miscarried three weeks later. I don't know what caused it. Stress, anxiety, who knows. I hated men after my husband did that to me. Hated them. That was when I enlisted in the Corps. Hate makes you a good soldier, you know. Makes you plant every single shot right in the other guy's head. I couldn't bring myself to trust a man after what my husband did. And then I met him.' Libby continued, everyone knew who she meant but it was Aloysius who spoke up again.  
'sure, your husband was an ass but he's got nothing on one particular guy I know. This guy was just doing his job, facing danger every damned day in the Sudan, just trying to stay alive so he could go home and see his wife and baby. But something went wrong, he got noticed by the wrong people and things went to hell. A group working within the Army tried to kill him but he survived, along with one friend. By the time they escaped the lighthouse their enemies had tried to kill them with, using a Thermite-Amatol charge, his wife and baby had been shot and it was made to look like a home invasion gone wrong. He never got over their loss, went rouge and disappeared for a few years before coming back as an International Bounty Hunter.' Aloysius sighed, gazing out across the deck as he spoke.  
'and how do you know that?' Buck Snr asked, turning his gaze down to Aloysius.  
'because that guy was me. My mistakes cost my beautiful wife and baby their lives, they had nothing do with any of it but the still had to die.' Aloysius replied, looking up at Riley Snr.

Signalling Rufus to help him up, Aloysius reached out to rest his hands on Libby's shoulders, hoping to pass on his wisdom to her so she could take the chance on Scarecrow. They deserved their chance at happiness, whether they knew it or not just yet.  
'hate doesn't make you a great soldier Libby, it makes you cold and hard inside. I used to think the same way, but I realised just how wrong I was when I started hunting. Hate clouds your thinking and stops you from seeing what's right in front of you. Take a hint from someone who already found that pitfall and eventually got out again. You're far too good to go down that path, you've got your life ahead of you and a lot of people that care about you. Hold onto them Libby, don't ever let your friends go. I made that mistake, I lost all but my closest of friends, out in the cold with only one port in the storm my life had become. It's a hard life Libby, don't take that risk.' Aloysius warned, letting Libby in behind his walls so she could understand him.  
'I understand Aloysius. I can't say I'll be able to stick to your guidance but I'll try.' Libby nodded, resting her hands lightly on Aloysius' arms. 'that's all I can promise, I'll try.'  
'I can't ask for more than that Libby, that's all anyone can ask.' Aloysius smiled softly as he released her. 'you'll be just fine Libby, if you can just hold onto your friends and let go of that hate.'

Watching Aloysius hobble back to his spot on the railing and resume watching the prisoners, Rufus nodded slowly and stretched, hiding his surprise at Aloysius' behaviour. He'd never expected his best friend and hunting partner to let another see behind his protective barriers, into the pain and turmoil that challenged him every day.  
'consider yourself very lucky Libby, no one else in our varied group has ever seen beyond Aloysius' shields. We've seen something special, treasure it and keep it to yourself. Ain't anyone else's business what we've seen.' he warned, dropping his voice so Aloysius didn't hear.  
'somehow I doubt anyone else would believe what I saw. He's a different man when those walls come down.' Libby nodded, turning back to what she was supposed to be doing.


	7. IS - Explanations

Knowing that this needed to be done quickly, while they had a few minutes to breathe, Buck Riley Snr asked for Scarecrow and Buck Jr to meet him in the north-west tunnel of E-deck and requested that everyone else leave them alone for a little while. There were a few questions about his reasons for the private moment but he refused to answer, insisting that everyone would find out the full story when the time was right.

Leaning against the wall, helmet slung from his belt, Riley Snr waited patiently and tried to get his thoughts in order. He knew what was coming, still a while down the track but the longer he left it, the less time he would have to share with two young men that were equally important to him. As far as he was concerned, both men were his sons, he's raised them both in different ways but they were equal to him. He only had hours left, time was ticking away slowly and this had to be done, as much as it would hurt.

Coming in from opposite ends, the two younger men stopped in front of him, wondering just what was so important that it couldn't wait until later. Understanding the meaning behind the way Buck Snr was standing; Schofield removed his helmet and hung it from his belt, off the air for now. Glancing between Shane and his father, Buck Jr removed his own helmet and secured it to his belt, recognising that whatever was going to be said had to remain between them.

Reaching out to rest his hands on their shoulders, Buck Snr looked at them closely, nudging them closer so he could look them both in the eye at the same time. Getting an idea that this was serious, Shane showed just how much he trusted Riley Snr, shifting his glasses to the top of his head.  
'This ain't going to be easy for either of you to hear but I need you to shut up and listen. Bucky, I'm sure you remember that this was the mission I never came home from. I'm sorry I wasn't there to see you grow up, I missed so much but seeing you now, standing beside Scarecrow like this, I know you turned out better than I could have ever asked. Scarecrow, I don't know how much of this mission you remember but I know what's coming and I don't want you to feel any guilt for what happens. I made my choice then and I'll gladly make the same choice this time around if it comes to it. I ain't afraid to give my life for my country, taking a fall to protect Kirsty. I'll do it again, 'cause that's the way it's meant to be.' Buck Snr swallowed and looked away from the pair, struggling to get to the root of the pain in his gut.  
'It doesn't have to be that way this time dad, we can do things differently. Let someone else take the jump to save Kirsty, it doesn't have to be you.' Buck Jr corrected, glancing at Scarecrow. 'I'll do it, I can protect her.'  
'No Bucky, don't you dare. My jump to save Kirsty is the turning point. Saving her doomed me to capture by the SAS. I won't let you go before them, it's my place. If I had my way, you wouldn't even be here to see what they'll do but I can't change that now.' Buck Snr corrected, giving his son a sharp shake. 'When it happens, don't come back for me, you've got to think about the main group.'  
'We never had a chance to get back to you, the British were too fast. They were on your position before I had a chance to turn around and start a run back to where you fell.' Shane admitted, hanging his head. 'That mistake has haunted me for a long time.'  
'It wasn't a mistake Scarecrow, not then and not this time either. It's my choice and I'll do it again to buy time for the rest of the group to get away.' Riley Snr replied, locking eyes with Scarecrow. 'I don't have many hopes for the future once I'm gone but I really do hope you two can develop a strong friendship.'

Dropping his hands, Riley Snr slumped back against the icy wall behind him and ran one hand over his weather beaten face, trying to come up with a way to soften the blow. No matter how he said it, this was going to be a kick in the guts to his boys as he thought of them.  
'There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it hope you can both understand why I'm so adamant I have to do this. Once the SAS has me in their custody, they'll come back here to Wilkes and try to torture information out of me about the cavern and the team we sent down there. I won't tell them anything; no matter how many times their big bruiser Nero has a go. Kaplan gives it up, betraying the team in the cavern when he's given the choice of who will die; me or him. Barnaby gives Nero my Maghook and the order to string me up. He wraps the end of the cable around my ankles, making sure I won't be going anywhere. Hands cuffed behind my back, head down, I go out fed to killer whales.' Buck Snr explained, putting it all out there and hoping for the best.  
'No, dad, no! It doesn't have to be that way. We can change it, make things better. You don't have to be a hero and die so pointlessly, we can fix it. This is a second chance, we can alter the story.' Buck Jr insisted, refusing to let his father go out like that again.  
'Bucky, I won't let someone else die in my place. We all have our roles to play, our own parts to this story that cannot be changed. Fox told me earlier that she remembered Mother's fall into the pool and talked to her about it but Mother refused to change her plans for the mission. She knew it had to happen. If she didn't do it, someone else might take a more serious injury and that's not a risk I'm willing to take. If I don't go through with my part, there's too much of a risk that you'll be killed instead Bucky and I can't let that happen.' Buck Snr replied, shaking his head slowly.  
'There has to be something we can do.' Scarecrow uttered, refusing to believe that nothing could be done to change this one. 'It can't end like this, not after everything we've been through together.'  
'Now those are memories I'll take with me until the last moment. We've been through a fair bit, I can't argue with that one Scarecrow but don't think about Bosnia right now. Look to the future, to all the wild adventures you'll go on with Bucky at your side. We both knew that this day would come, the day when I couldn't keep up with you anymore. You'll have Bucky at your side now, the two of you will do great things, I just know you will.' Snr nodded, left arm reaching out to catch Buck Jr before he hit the floor. 'C'mon now Bucky, I've got you.'  
'I can't do this dad; I can't know and not try to make things better. I have to try; I can't let you go out like that.' Buck Jr uttered, forgetting all about pretences and showing that inside, he was still a scared little boy who needed his dad.

Shooting Scarecrow a warning look, Buck Snr guided his son close and held him to his chest, putting aside his Marine life for a few minute to just be a father. Nodding slowly, Scarecrow turned away, giving the pair a few minutes of relative privacy to say what had to be said. Clinging desperately to his father, Buck Jr gave up trying to be strong, tears falling silently as he struggled to face what he'd been told.  
'Now don't you worry Bucky-Boy, I've got a plan. It won't be so bad this time; it's all going to be okay. That's one thing I love about being a Marine, we don't let some weak assed SAS bastard tell us when we're gonna die. We go out on our own terms.' Buck Snr grinned, dropping a big hint but both men with him missed it. 'It'll all make sense later, once it's said and done.'  
'I don't want to say goodbye dad, I can't.' Buck Jr uttered, lifting his gaze slowly.  
'Yes, you can Bucky. You'll get through this and go home to look after your mother like a good boy. It won't make much sense until you've really had time to think about it but eventually, you'll understand why this has to be.' Snr replied, releasing him slowly. 'Chin up Bucky, it's going to be okay. I'm ready to face my end.'  
'What am I supposed to do? I can't ignore this like you want.' Jr asked, scrubbing at his damp cheeks quickly.  
'You'll follow Scarecrow's orders like any good Marine. You'll go where he tells you and do your job, protect the civilians and this station as required.' Snr pushed, reaching out to ruffle Book II's hair lightly. 'Now get back to your post, I need a few moments alone with Scarecrow.'  
'Okay dad.' Jr nodded, donning his helmet and leaving the area. He still wanted to do something to change the situation but he respected his father enough to leave it alone.

Waiting for his son to clear out, Buck Snr turned to Scarecrow, a deadly serious look on his face. Scarecrow wasn't sure how much more there was to know right at the moment but obviously Buck had more to say and it was important.  
'Don't tell Bucky this; he'll only try to get involved. When the Falcon calls, you'll know the job is done. Barnaby won't get his fun, I promise you that. Tell no one of the plan, it's my choice alone. Listen for the Falcon's call, everything will become clear.' Buck Snr guided, his words carefully chosen but Shane got the idea.  
'I'll do that Buck, thanks. Don't worry about your son; we'll take care of him after you're gone. It's not going to be easy for any of us but we'll look after him as we should.' Shane nodded, filing away that little bit of information for later reference.  
'I know you will Scarecrow, you're a good man like that. We'd better get back out there before anyone comes to investigate.' Buck Snr grinned, clapping Shane on the shoulder and heading down the tunnel.


	8. IS - Putting The Pieces Together

Vaguely able to hear the rhythmic thump-thump-thump of the diving bell winch as it lowered Montana, Fox, Santa Cruz, Sarah Hensleigh and Baba down to the cavern deep in the ice, Aloysius slumped back against the wall beside Mother, not even trying to stay conscious. Whenever he started drifting towards sleep, Mother would reach out and smack him, jolting him back into alertness. In return, Aloysius gave her a solid crack with his knuckles when she started drowsing.

Really, Aloysius would have preferred to be out with the rest of the group on E-deck but the earlier injury to his right thigh had been more serious than Emily had first realised. She'd gone back in twice already to do another field repair but blood was still leaking from somewhere and it was a strong leak. She was confident it wasn't the artery, the blood was darker so it was vein damage but she couldn't find the knick anywhere and wasn't going to do major surgery in a storeroom at the bottom of an Antarctic station just to find it.

Rufus had been in here earlier but he'd been called out to help repair the radio mast outside. Grumbling about places no sane person would go, Rufus left Aloysius to rest and gain some strength. Emily swung by occasionally, checking on them both and redressing injuries with whatever she had to hand. This latest batch of dressings had been graciously donated by the scientists in the form of the sheets from their beds. None of it was sterile or particularly clean in some cases but infections were a secondary concern now.

Jolting awake when Mother belted him in the shoulder again, Aloysius snarled and shifted into a more comfortable position, glancing over at Mother. Her chin was down to her chest, eyes closed as she rested. Unable to resist the chance, Knight cracked her in the arm, glad that her attached drip was on the other side so he had a clear shot.  
'This sucks major fucking ass.' Mother groused, lifting her head.  
'You don't have to tell me that, Mother.' Aloysius agreed, looking up at his own fluid bag. He didn't think he needed it but he'd been ganged up on to take it and shut up.  
'I'm bored of this shit. Even beating up on you isn't entertaining anymore.' Mother sighed, shifting again and turning to look at Knight.  
'Oh geez thanks.' Aloysius returned dryly, rolling his eyes. 'And here I thought you liked my charming personality.'  
'Speaking of which, this ain't the you I know from the Hunt.' Mother mused, choosing her words carefully. 'You know what I mean?'  
'Technically, at this point in my life I was still in Delta. I'll never forget the day I found out about the murders, I read the coroner's report and know the exact hour it happened. I guess when that hour ticks past; I'll lose these Delta edges and find my stride again. We'll find out eventually, only another couple hours to go until then.' Aloysius explained, checking his watch and trying to get comfortable. 'Reckon we should give Scarecrow and Fox a push? Knowing what we do.'  
'Nah, Scarecrow's all for keeping this fucked up mess as close to the original as he can. There will be changes, with all the extra bodies that's to be expected but he's trying.' Mother replied, shaking her head slowly. 'Not sure how Book II is gonna handle it when his dad gets in over his head. Could get real messy.'  
'Someone else will have to handle that. We're out of this fight for now.' Aloysius shrugged, wishing he hadn't been put out so early but it was too risky for him to push on.

Falling silent, they relaxed and shuffled their positions again, trying to ignore the constant cold around them. Sure, cold helped slow bleeding but in this sort of a situation a nice bit of warmth would certainly lift the mood. Glancing across the gap between them, both realised the other was dozy and reacted at the same time. Mother got Aloysius in the chest; he got her in the stomach.  
'Glad to see you two are keeping amused.' Shane sniggered, leaning in the doorway comfortably. 'I can't say I'd find that game much fun but hey, whatever works.'  
'Mother's already bored of beating me up and it's only been twenty minutes.' Aloysius replied, earning another snort of laughter from Shane.  
'Bitch, bitch, bitch.' Mother scoffed, shooting him a cheeky grin.  
'Yup, she's still enjoying the methadone.' Aloysius chuckled, enjoying the chance to really dig at Mother after their serious chat.  
'Shut up Knight. That fucking fish took my leg.' Mother growled indignantly, looking down at the thick dressing Emily had rigged up this time. So far it was holding, but it would need changing again before long.  
'I noticed. Could have been worse, though.' Shane added, shaking his head in wonder at the pair.  
'Don't I know it.' Mother snorted, still amazed that even adding extra people hadn't changed her situation. Baba had tried but it wasn't enough. 'Scarecrow. Have I ever told you that you are one damn fine lookin' man?'  
'I think that's the methadone talking.' Shane replied, giving her a faint smile.  
'I know a good man when I see one.' Mother insisted, leaning back and closing her eyes slowly.  
'You're outvoted this time Scarecrow, I'm with Mother.' Aloysius agreed, shocking both Marines. 'Is it really that surprising?'  
'I had no idea you were even that way inclined.' Shane admitted, picking up his jaw.  
'Open your eyes Scarecrow. You can't seriously be that dense. Come on Mother, even drugged to the eyebrows you should be able to pick it.' Aloysius smirked, prodding the pair to think about something apart from the mission.  
'It's gotta be Rufus. He's the only other person who really knows you.' Mother nodded, thinking back over the mission so far. 'He's always been right there behind you.'  
'Give that lady a prize.' Aloysius grinned, reaching around to shift the small pillow one of the scientists had given over. 'I don't expect you to see it for a while yet Scarecrow but when you do, try not to act so shocked.'

Settling back as comfortably as he could, Aloysius closed his eyes and tried to relax, giving his companions in the room a chance to talk in relative privacy. They took if for what it was, discussing the murder of the seriously wounded Marine, Samurai, by parties unknown and one of the scientists, Renshaw. Then the conversation swung towards Schofield's guilt about not seeing the French for what they really were and Mother telling him that she'd turned down a place in an Atlantic Recon Unit just to stay with Scarecrow. Now Aloysius was Army born and bred but he still knew how prestigious the Atlantic Recon Units were.

But when the conversation strayed into territory Knight had an intimate understanding of, he perked up again, ready to offer his knowledge to Scarecrow to save him from a similar fate as his own. His movement got Scarecrow's attention and a faint nod, welcoming him into the conversation properly.  
'I heard one guy - a real fruit-loop named Hugo Boddington - say once that he'd heard that the National Reconnaissance Office and the Joint Chiefs of Staff had a joint subcommittee that they called the Intelligence Convergence Group, and that it was the office that was in charge of infiltrating American military units. Boddington said that ICG was some kind of ultra-secret committee charged with hoarding intelligence. Charged with ensuring that only the right people in the right places knew about certain stuff. That's why they have to infiltrate units like ours. If we're on a mission and we find something we're not supposed to - I don't know, like an alien or something - those ICG guys are there to wipe us out and make sure we don't tell anybody what we saw.' Mother shrugged, glancing back towards Knight. 'Anything to add, Knight?'  
'Oh yeah, I've heard of the ICG. Watch your back out there Scarecrow, if you've got ICG in your unit, you're not going to know who it us until it's late to do anything about it. But if you're really going to try and pick your infiltrator out of the ranks, look for the ones that have always been there at just the right moment, right on the ball with radio calls and jumping in for solo jobs when any number of Marines could do it. Just a gut feeling of mine, based on experiences with the ICG, but I don't trust that Kaplan. There's just something about him that I don't like and usually when I get that feeling up my back, ICG is lurking around again.' Aloysius nodded, thinking about Schofield's sniper out somewhere else doing his own thing. 'Play it smart now Scarecrow, if ICG is around you'll be the top target. Don't let anyone get a clear shot at you, hug the walls and stay away from open spaces as much as you can. ICG has a tendency to take out the top men of a unit to create confusion before sweeping through the rest.'  
'I'll keep that in mind Knight, thanks. Even going through this a second time, it feels so surreal. I know it's Kaplan, as soon as I leave here and walk onto the pool deck, he snipes me from outside the base, through the glass dome over the central shaft. I'll be technically dead for about 30 seconds but he was dumb enough to throw me into the pool the first time around, some kind of creature lifted me back out and I was found by Renshaw. He took me up to his room and removed the frag from my neck. I survive because of the sniper protection under my collar; it takes enough speed off the bullet for it to not be a kill shot.' Shane explained, in no real hurry to get out there and take another shot from Kaplan. 'Once he's done with me, he'll be out for Mother's life and by extension, yours Knight.'  
'Let him come, I ain't worried about some ICG asshole. I've dealt with them before.' Aloysius growled, not at all fazed by that news. 'Baba told me to take care of Mother while he's down in that cavern and that's exactly what I'm gonna do.'  
'I don't need a protector, Knight. I handled Kaplan on my own last time.' Mother corrected, smacking him in the stomach. 'I can take care of myself.'  
'Fucked if I do, fucked if I don't. I either piss you off by staying or risk Baba's fury by leaving. Knight shrugged, unfolding his collar and releasing his own neck protector. 'Here, you might need this. We'll try and keep you from going down this time Scarecrow.'

Figuring it wouldn't be a bad idea to avoid another scar to his throat, Shane accepted the additional protection, hiding it under his collar and hoping Kaplan didn't notice anything was strange.  
'Thanks, both of you. I'd better get going.' Shane nodded, getting to his feet and heading for the door. 'Call me if you need anything.'  
'Oh, you know what I need, baby.' Mother retorted with a wicked grin.  
'You never quit, do you?' Shane shook his head.  
'You know what. I don't think you realise it when someone has their eye on you, honey.' Mother said, her voice soft and coy.  
'Does someone have their eye on me?' Scarecrow asked, one eyebrow rising sharply.  
'Oh, yes, Scarecrow. Oh, yes.' Mother confirmed, giving nothing away just yet.  
'Definitely yes, there's someone interested.' Aloysius nodded, shooting Mother a look.  
'Goodbye you two.' Shane smiled, shaking his head in wonder.  
'Goodbye, Scarecrow.' Mother replied, adjusting her own pillow.  
'Keep your head down Scarecrow.' Knight called after him, settling back again. 'How can a guy that smart be so oblivious to what's right in front of him?'  
'I'm not sure if he's oblivious or just trying to protect his heart. If he remembers what happens in France a few years from now, he might be trying to protect Libby.' Mother suggested, scratching at the back of ner neck. 'So, you and Rufus?'  
'Old news Mother, old news. By the time of the Hunt, we'd been together for a few years. Don't let his quiet nature fool you, he's an animal behind closed doors.' Aloysius grinned, tipping his head back and sighing. 'I won't go into detail, he likes his privacy.'  
'I always thought of him as a good ol' boy that just never got his chance.' Mother mused, finding the mouth piece for her water pack. 'I had a feeling that you weren't so interested in women. I was surprised when Rufus told me you used to have a wife and baby.'  
'I've always played both sides, depending on the situation. During my Army life, dating and eventually marrying Mel made it easier to ignore my interest in some of the men I lived and worked with. After her death, I vowed I'd never risk another woman to protect me and pretty much gave up on ever finding love again. But as the weeks went by and we got used to each other properly, I started to realise that Rufus was there and he was interested.' Aloysius explained, grabbing another pillow for his head.  
'You two hide it very well, I don't think anyone realised.' Mother nodded, eyes drifting closed. 'I'm just glad you're happy, everyone deserves someone special.'  
'We are happy Mother. We work well together, professionally and personally. I'm just grateful he saved me when no one else could, dragging me back from the brink. It's no secret I wouldn't have survived with out him, he's been there through it all.' Aloysius grinned, nudging his glasses up to rub tired eyes.


	9. IS - Catching The Snake

Bored of beating each other up, Aloysius and Mother were quiet, waiting for someone to come in and check on them. They weren't really concerned about who came; any one of their friends was capable of changing bandages and giving Mother another hit of methadone. Head coming up when Mother grunted, Aloysius reached out across the gap and grasped her hand, squeezing firmly. Taking the touch for what it was - a helping, supportive hand - Mother returned the squeeze, trying to breathe through her pain.  
'Want me to call someone?' Aloysius asked, regretting handing off his minimal med kit to Rufus just in case he needed it.  
'I'm okay, but if someone doesn't turn up soon…' Mother replied, drawing in a deep breath.

Getting that dark feeling up his spine again, Aloysius shifted in the dark and tapped at an alert button inside his left wrist. Provided their icy bath earlier hadn't damaged either unit, Rufus would get a buzzing sensation against his wrist, a warning that Aloysius needed some help. He was always fast to react to those signals, he knew what it meant and how rarely Aloysius used it.

Also registering another presence in the room, Mother looked up and over towards the door, spotting the Marine standing in the shadows. Tall and lean, he stood there silently, staring at the pair from the darkness covering his features.  
'Snake,' Mother said. 'What's the matter? Don't you talk anymore? Cat got your tongue?'  
'I'm here to take care of you both.' Snake replied, his voice rough and low.  
'Good. I could use another shot of that kickapoo joy juice.' Mother grinned, sitting up straighter and getting ready.  
'I don't think he means that kind of care Mother.' Aloysius uttered, watching Snake closely.  
'Well? What are you waiting for - a gilt-edged invitation?' Mother pushed, mostly ignoring Aloysius for the moment.  
'no.' Snake countered, his voice icy cold. He stepped forward into the room and Mother's eyes widened in horror as she saw the light from the corridor outside glint off the knife in his hand.  
'What'd I tell you? I told you Kaplan was bad news.' Aloysius groaned, tapping his alert button again even as he did something all together less intelligent but more immediately useful.

Leaving Aloysius to do his own thing, Mother pushed up against the icy wall of the storeroom as Snake stepped through the doorway, brandishing the long Bowie knife.  
'Snake, what the fuck are you doing?' Mother asked, glancing over to Aloysius for help.  
'I'm sorry Mother. You're a good soldier. But you're too close to this.' Snake replied, his tone setting both wounded warriors on edge.  
'What the hell is that supposed to mean?' Mother tried, searching for a way to deal with Snake.  
'National security.'

Hoping Mother could keep Snake occupied for just long enough, Aloysius very slowly eased onto his knees, reaching for his own combat knife as he got his uninjured left leg under his butt and readied to leap at Snake.  
'National security? What the fuck are you, Snake?' Mother scoffed, totally focused on the troublesome Marine.  
'Come on Mother, you've been around. You've heard the stories. What do you think I am?' Snake smiled a thin, evil smile.  
'A fucking whacko, that's what I think.' Mother shot back, reaching ever so slowly for her belt to alert Scarecrow the only way she could - by activating her own radio.

Out on E-deck, running as hard as he could, Rufus felt the insistent buzzing against his wrist go up another notch, vibrating up a storm as the danger ratcheted up in the storeroom. K-bar in hand, he charged off the steel deck and into the tunnel, zeroing in on the storeroom.  
'The only kind, Mother. I'm ICG.' a cold and deadly voice echoed from the storeroom, stirring up Rufus' anger. Letting out a battle cry, Rufus shot into the storeroom, tackling the only person on their feet in the dim lights.

Crashing to the hard floor, the pair went at it hard, wrestling and rolling among the supplies and between the two wounded warriors somewhere nearby. Grunting when he was kicked in the gut and knocked back, Rufus scrambled up and engaged again, striking out at his shorter opponent. Knives scraping against each other, they fought on, ducking and weaving in a fight to the end.

Moving as quickly as he could, Aloysius grabbed Mother under the arms and dragged her clear of the fight before shifting to take up a position between her and Kaplan, just in case he got past the raging storm that was Rufus. Kaplan was in for a hell of a fight though, Rufus wasn't such an easy man to take down in a fight anymore.

Parrying Snake's knife with his right hand, Rufus struck out with his left, landing a solid blow to Kaplan's chest and knocking him back. Falling back against more heavy wooden shelves, Kaplan took a moment to breathe before launching forward again, his knife out of sight for the moment. Dodging the incoming right fist, Rufus turned and replied with a mighty left of his own. Kaplan ducked just in time and Rufus' fist smashed into the shelf behind him, the bigger man roaring in agony as he smashed his hand against the solid timber.

Following Rufus as he retreated, broken hand held to his chest, Kaplan raised his knife and turned suddenly, ducking under Rufus' right arm and lashing out with his knife. Howling in pain again, Rufus went down hard, Kaplan's knife wedged deep in his side. Stooping to pick up Rufus' dropped knife, Kaplan advanced on Aloysius and Mother, aiming to finish them off and get out of there before anyone else came to investigate.

Ignoring his own wounds, Aloysius launched into action, driving Kaplan away from Mother and Rufus desperately. He had to finish this quickly and call for help before Rufus lost his fight. For now he was still alive, whimpering softly in pain but there was no way to know for sure how long he could hold on.  
'I've lost too many friends to ICG already. You are not getting any more.' Aloysius snarled, hoping Mother was ready for her part in this half-baked plan.  
'You'll never leave this station alive.' Kaplan growled back, pushing Aloysius back and raising his knife in readiness.  
'That's that you think asshole.' Aloysius smirked, lunging in and grabbing Kaplan's knife hand with his right.

Dropping his knife, Aloysius tore the knife from Kaplan's hand and turned, driving his right knee into Kaplan's stomach and forcing him down. Twisting both hands behind his back, Knight held them in a painful position and reached for something special in his vest, a remnant from his Delta days. Slipping the zip-tie loop over Kaplan's wrists, Aloysius yanked them tight and shoved him across the room, an added kick sending him right to where Mother was waiting.

Turning into the doorway, Shane could only stare in shock at the scene inside the storeroom, his jaw hanging somewhere around his knees. They were on the floor; Mother, Knight, Rufus and Snake. At first Shane just stared at them, stared at the scene. Mother was leaning back against the wall, a knife clutched in each hand as she panted for breath. She wasn't sitting on the cold floor anymore though, she was sitting on Snake's back, one blade resting against the base of his skull, the other at his lower back. Then he looked over to where Aloysius was bent over Rufus and his blood ran cold.  
'Hunter! Storeroom now! This looks bad!' Shane yelled, not exactly sure where she was right now.  
"On my way Scarecrow. Three minutes." Emily replied, boots ringing against steel behind her voice.  
'Hang in there buddy, help is on the way.' Aloysius coaxed, so close to falling apart.  
'Well, Scarecrow, are you just gonna fucking stand there, or what?' Mother asked, jabbing Kaplan in the neck. 'If you don't keep those fingers still Kaplan, I swear I will fucking remove them.'

Flying into the room, Emily planted her left hand firmly on Shane's helmet and spun past him in a blazing whirlwind, the single point of contact enough to keep them both on their feet and moving past smoothly. Dropping her pack beside Rufus, she shoved Aloysius back and handed him a small torch from one of the side pockets, pressing it into his hands.  
'Shit, this is a mess. Hold on big man, I'll take care of you.' she uttered, very carefully examining the deep wound to his side. 'I need more light. This is a serious injury Scarecrow, I can't do much for him in the dark.'  
'I'm open to suggestions Hunter.' Scarecrow replied, trusting in her abilities.  
'There's nothing for it, we're going to have to move him out onto E-deck proper. I'm going to need extra hands, anyone and everyone with medical training. There's no telling just how much damage that knife did on the way in.' Emily directed, re-angling the torch and peering closer.  
'We've got two scientists in the station that are medically trained. The Frenchman Luc Champion and an American, James Renshaw.' Shane nodded, watching Emily work. 'Are you sure we should move him with that knife where it is?'  
'You let me worry about the logistics Scarecrow. Get those two men ready for some serious medical work. But before you run off, hand me some of those sheets.'

Setting the sheets off to one side and her medical gear off to the other, Emily looked to Aloysius again, picking up on the fear in his eyes. Reaching for her extensive kit, bigger than any she'd carried before but vitally necessary, Emily got stuck into the job at hand, ignoring her own concerns and focusing on the felled pilot.  
'You're in good hands now Rufus, its okay. Just stay nice and still for me, I'll make you feel better.' she soothed, getting the IV running and releasing strong sedative into his body. 'There you go, give it a minute to kick in and you'll be fine.'  
'What's the plan Hunter? We can't just leave that blade in there.' Knight asked, not sure what to do to help his best friend.  
'I have no intention of leaving the blade there but there's only so much I can do in this situation. It's too dark in here to safely remove it but moving Rufus out to the pool deck while it's still in there could be fatal. I hate even suggesting it but the only thing I really can do is remove it and hope he doesn't bleed out during the transfer and carry.' Emily sighed, turning her full attention to the knife.


	10. IS - Desperate Attempt

Gently settling Rufus on the cold deck, hopefully far enough away from the pool to prevent too many problems, the medical team rearranged the sheets they'd used to bring him out and knelt around him, facing the next big hurdle. Managing to hold Rufus' chest up just enough, Emily kept him supported as the civilians wrestled with his flak vest, getting it off and out of the way. Peeling off his flight suit was easy, but the wetsuit caused a few headaches. In the end they managed to work it off just enough to expose the injury to his side, Emily's helmet straps threaded through the cut in it to keep the tight suit pulled out of the way.

Hoping that Scarecrow could keep Knight away from their working area, the medical team set to work on Rufus, Renshaw and Champion focusing on his abdominal wound as Emily got busy with his hand, the trio working as quickly as they could to stabilise him before the sedation wore off. The two men had the harder job, trying to patch up the damage done internally but to do that they'd had to make the initial incision from Kaplan's blade a lot bigger.

Realigning bones and suturing muscles and tendons back into position as best she could; Emily gently strapped each finger to an aluminium splint, especially mindful of his joints. She could feel the weight of Knight's gaze on her back but she refused to look up, fully aware that without the full use of his hands, Rufus would struggle to fly properly.

Pacing anxiously but always kept back by Shane, Aloysius wanted to be over there with Rufus but he also understood that the team needed space to save Rufus. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the desperate scene, trying not to think about blood loss and the useless kidney tossed onto the sheet beside Renshaw's knees.

Standing near the pool, forming a protective line between the surgical team and the pool, the rest of the Marine team was on guard. Maghooks held to the ready, they kept a sharp eye out for any killer whales in the murky depths, doing what they could just for something to do in such a nerve wracking situation. Even Mother was out near the pool, her attention on Kaplan as he watched the rescue effort. He was smiling, waiting patiently for Rufus to die. Whenever the medical team swore, he laughed heartily, taunting the group with his good mood.

It wasn't the neatest job she'd ever done but Emily was reasonably happy with the repair work as she finished firmly binding Rufus' hand to keep the splints and protectors in place before cradling it in against his chest and moving to help with the abdominal wound, hoping that Rufus didn't come around any time soon. She was in a really awkward spot, one movement from him and she'd lose her balance.

With six hands to the job, it didn't take them too long to finally suture up the internal damage, working in layers to seal up the damage and triple check for any more bleeders in the mess. Finishing off her last layer of sutures, Emily nodded and stood, leaving the civilians to finish up as she cleaned her hands on a towel Renshaw had brought down with him.

Making her way across the deck, Emily knelt by the pool and washed her hands in the frigid water, making sure to get them as clean as she could before drying off and making her way through the silent gathering.  
'What's the news, Hunter?' Aloysius asked, reaching for calm as she approached them.  
'We've done all we can for now. He's stable, the bleeding has been stopped and we've sewn him back together as best we can. Now it's up to him to fight for life. There's nothing more any of us can do, he's on his own now.' Emily sighed, glancing over towards Rufus again. 'We'll put him back in the storeroom and keep an eye on him; he'll be safer in there.'  
'What are his chances?' Shane asked, trying to stay calm and keep a level head when all he wanted to do was beat Snake senseless.  
'Now that the bleeding is under control, his chances are pretty good for a full recovery. He's lost a fair bit of blood so things are still dicey for him but with gentle care, I don't see any reason why he won't make a full recovery. It would be better if we could get him out of here right now but I know the chances of that happening are pretty slim.' Emily shrugged, looking down at her bloodstained uniform. 'We'll do the best we can for him, whatever happens.'  
'Thank you, for everything.' Aloysius uttered, resting one hand on Emily's shoulder. 'I don't know what I'd do without Rufus.'


	11. IS - Battle Prep

Jumping slightly when his watch beeped, shattering peaceful quiet of the storeroom, Aloysius silenced the alarm and went back to watching Rufus sleep, rolled onto his side and propped there so he couldn't go moving in his sleep and tear out the layers of sutures. His hand was resting on a loosely bundled sheet, padded and protected, the hastily made dressings spotted liberally with blood all over.  
'What was that alarm for?' Mother asked, cracking one eye open. 'It can't be time for another shot, can it?'  
'No Mother, it's nothing to do with you. That was the alarm marking Mel's passing. I set it before the first battle.' Aloysius replied, feeling something change deep inside. 'It also marks the end of my Delta affiliation, from here on out the Black Knight comes out to play.'

Squinting in the darkness, Mother picked out that something was changing; the dim light in their hideaway seemed to move around Aloysius, like some kind of apparition behind him. But just as quickly as the trick of the light had happened, it was gone again. Mother wasn't sure if she'd just seen that or not but when Knight moved and he clinked, she had a distinct feeling that something had just changed.

Knight moved again, getting to his feet and stretching, the muted clinking becoming more pronounced now. Shuffling and coming up onto one knee, Knight reached for something and a faint click reached Mother's ears before the room was awash with a pale light from a torch in his hand. Mother's jaw dropped when she got a decent look at Knight again, he'd gone through some kind of a transformation in the darkness. Still dressed in all black but it was different now. The black hat he'd been wearing was gone, replaced with the black hockey helmet Mother had seen in Afghanistan. His shotgun had gone from a back mount holster to a pair in thigh holsters, resting quietly beside paired USP pistols. His vest, still loaded down with rappelling rope, grenades and demolition charges and ammo pouches, now also carried an assortment of non-military equipment, the trappings of his life as a Bounty Hunter.

Pretty much ignoring Mother for the moment, Aloysius shifted to sit beside Rufus again, unbuckling his flak vest and unzipping his flight suit to reach inside and retrieve three small metal cases. These he carefully tucked away inside his own vest before fishing out three more and hiding them away as well.  
'What the fuck is going on, Knight?' Mother asked, finally finding her voice again.  
'Trouble is coming, I can feel it. Take care of Rufus for me, I'll stick with the Scarecrow.' Knight replied, lightly running his fingers through Rufus' hair. 'Sit tight, I'll be back with news.'

Running from the storeroom, Knight spotted Scarecrow and Hunter flying down the ladders, coming back from the radio room judging by their angle. Going down to one knee, Aloysius pulled something from under his vest and firmly wrapped it around his injured thigh, pulling it tight and tying it off firmly. It wasn't a perfect support but it would do to keep him mobile and moving fast.  
'Scarecrow, what's the situation?' he called, heaving to his feet as Shane's boots clanged loudly against the deck.  
'We're in deep trouble, that's the situation.' Hunter replied, landing hard and following Scarecrow across the deck. 'Where the fuck did you find all that gear?'  
'Time ticked over, I've made the switch from Delta to Bounty Hunter.' Aloysius shrugged, watching Scarecrow closely. 'Scarecrow, stop and brief me. What can I do to help?'  
'We've got 20 minutes until 20 SAS hovercraft turn up on our doorstep with the simple mission to kill us and take the station. Even with the extra hands still around, we can't stay here. So we're going to get the hell out of here and come back once Barnaby's guard is down.' Scarecrow explained, looking up at Aloysius. 'Are you going to be able to keep up? Delta or Bounty Hunter, I don't care. You've got a deep wound to that thigh so if you've got any doubts, say it now.'  
'I'll keep up. You don't have to worry about me, Scarecrow.' Aloysius nodded, feeling a new wave of adrenaline wash through him. 'But we can't take Rufus and Mother with us, we'll never get them up to A-deck.'  
'I know, but there's nothing we can do. Mother made it out last time, she can do it again and take Rufus with her.' Shane replied, glancing at Emily. 'Go get what you need, we'll handle the rest of what needs to be done down here.'  
'Check that, Scarecrow.' Emily nodded, turning and running over to where Kaplan's gear had been left after he revealed he was a traitor.

Entering the storeroom again, Aloysius left Shane to tell Mother of their situation and crouched beside Rufus, fishing out something he really had hoped he didn't need to use. But if things were truly as bad as they sounded, this had to be done.  
'I'm sorry buddy, it's for your own good.' he uttered, checking that Shane and Mother were still too busy with their own thing before injecting the drugs into the line running into Rufus' uninjured hand. 'Take care buddy, I'll be back for you.'  
'How is he Knight?' Shane asked, glancing towards them quickly before going back to his conversation with Mother.  
'He's alive, breathing and pulse are stable but he's still out cold.' Aloysius replied, hiding the syringe back in his spare medical kit. 'Hunter will hate me for this but I've given him a stimulant shot, he can't defend himself if he's unconscious.'  
'Probably not your smartest move Knight, he's just had serious abdominal surgery.' Scarecrow sighed, shaking his head slowly. 'You've got a point though, he'll have a better chance of survival if he can defend against the incoming trouble.'

Slowly lifting his head as he came around, Rufus blinked and managed a tired smile as Aloysius cradled his head and kept him from sitting up. Nodding slowly, Rufus relaxed into the light contact and waited for Aloysius to explain just what was going on now.  
'Take it easy Rufus, you're still in bad shape. We're running a little short on time so I really need you to focus on what I'm going to tell you.' Aloysius warned, game face on in readiness.  
'Give it to me, Boss.' Rufus nodded, blinking away the fog in his mind.  
'Okay, in about 20 minutes the SAS is going to come charging into this station, all guns blazing. Scarecrow's made the call that we're bailing out but there's no way we'll be able to get you and Mother out of the station and clear the danger zone before we're caught and killed. So you need to find a spot to hide somewhere in the station and ride out the storm until we reach McMurdo then get back here and save the day.' Aloysius briefed, resting one hand over the repaired cut in Rufus' wetsuit. 'You need to be very careful, you've already been through hell.'  
'Oh fuck, of all the Special Forces to come up against. I'll be okay, I saw a spot I can hide earlier. They won't find me, I've learnt a lot about hiding from enemies thanks to you.' Rufus replied, lifting his left hand and looking at the intricate splint. 'But that might make it a little tricky.'  
'Come on, we have to get moving.' Scarecrow called, pausing in the doorway.  
'Here, you might need these along the way but try to avoid picking fights with the SAS, there's at least 40 of them inbound.' Aloysius guided, dragging Rufus' rifle and handgun closer. 'Be safe and I'll see you later.'

Leaning in to press a chaste kiss to Rufus' slack lips, Aloysius stood and disappeared from the room with Scarecrow, the pair moving fast and hoping they hadn't wasted too much time. Chuckling softly, Rufus found his rifle and handgun in the darkness, slinging the strap over his shoulder and holstering his pistol before checking where his IV drip was attached.  
'What are you planning Rufus?' Mother asked, sitting up a little more.  
'Exactly what Boss told me to do, we're going to play hide-and-seek with the SAS.' Rufus replied, rolling onto his stomach and easing onto all fours. 'Step one involves getting off his damned floor.'  
'Where are we going to hide? There aren't a lot of options here.' Mother sighed, wondering what wild idea Rufus had in his head to get them out of trouble.  
'We only need one and its right outside. I hope you don't mind enclosed spaces Mother, this is going to be a tight squeeze.' Rufus grinned, getting to his feet slowly. 'Ohh fuck, this is going to hurt constantly and I don't have any happy shots.'  
'Here, Scarecrow left one just in case I needed it.' Mother offered, holding out a methadone shot.  
'Thanks Mother, I'll save that for when I really need it.' Rufus nodded, picking his way across to her and grabbing the syringe. 'Are you ready to move?'  
'No but if it's got to be done, help me up.' Mother shrugged, offering up her hands.  
'Okay, here we go.' Rufus warned, hoisting Mother up and holding her up as they gathered up her fluid bags and IV lines. 'Come on, it's all going to be okay.'

Scanning the area outside the storeroom quickly, Rufus nodded and moved across to the dumb waiter, yanking the doors open and looking up the shaft. The actual car was right up near the top, likely on B-deck judging the height. At the bottom of the shaft, a wooden platform hid a crawl space, the perfect hiding place for one wounded Marine.  
'Okay, we don't have a lot of time here so let's do this fast.' Rufus uttered, reaching into the opening and tapping at the floor. 'We're going to use the car to hide both of our locations. You'll fit in the crawlspace underneath, it'll be tight but you'll be safe. I'll be on top of the car, hiding in the shadows. It's going to be hard to get up there but it's the only spot where I'll be safe.'  
'How are we supposed to get the lift down low enough for you to fit?' Mother asked, looking into the tiny space.  
'By opening up the crawlspace until I'm in position.' Rufus replied, opening the crawlspace cover and tapping the button for the car. 'You can do this Mother, it's going to be fine.'  
'I'm more worried about you. If I don't clear the crawlspace, you're stuck in there.' Mother uttered, looking up at him with a sad little smile. 'I'm worried I might pass out.'  
'Here, take this.' Rufus nodded, pulling a simple black wristband from one of his pockets. 'It's an emergency contact unit, strap it against your wrist nice and firm, this little nub against the pressure point. When I need you to move, I'll buzz you. Aloysius and I use these things all the time, it's just a matter of changing the frequency so I don't panic him as well.'  
'Okay, sounds simple enough.' Mother agreed, leaning up against the wall and securing the band around her wrist, adjusting it to sit properly. 'I just hope it works.'  
'Hey, how do you think Aloysius called for backup against Kaplan?' Rufus shrugged, making sure the lift was all the way down into the crawlspace. 'Everything will work out for the best Mother, I promise. You'll see Scarecrow again. Once you're in place, radio me and I'll lower the car back down so they can't open the hatch.'

Fishing out a scrap of cloth he always kept in one of his many pockets, Rufus clamped it between his teeth and started up into the space above the car, struggling without the use of his left hand but he did eventually manage to worm his way through the gap and out of sight. Mother vaguely heard him cursing softly as his boots disappeared into the darkness.  
'You alright up there?' she asked, worried about their timing.  
'I'll live. Think I tore my stitches.' Rufus replied, shifting around inside the narrow tunnel. 'One minute and I'll clear the space for you.'  
'Just don't hurt yourself.' Mother warned, trying to be patient as the car slowly lifted, making enough space for her to squeeze into her hiding spot and close the cover.  
'Rufus, you there?' she hissed, conscious of every noise she made.  
"You in position?" Rufus asked, just as careful over her head.  
'Yeah, lower away.' Mother confirmed, trying to relax as she heard something creaking overheard before, with a deep thud, the lift touched down again.


	12. IS - Hovercraft Chase

Shooting one last regretful look over his shoulder, Aloysius leapt up onto the bright orange hovercraft, hunched up against the driving snow and helped Scarecrow load a big black Samsonite trunk into the cabin before hauling the smaller man up and shoving him towards the cabin. Already waiting for them inside, James Renshaw seemed nervous but he'd either get over it or fall behind. Letting Scarecrow take the controls, Knight stood behind him, hands resting on his shotguns and looked around, taking a quick inventory of personnel.  
'Where's Hunter? I would have thought she'd be all over this.' Knight remarked, not spotting the wild woman anywhere.  
'She's got her own mission to focus on now.' Scarecrow replied, bringing their craft around beside the two white USMC hovercrafts. 'You'll know it when the Falcon calls.'  
'She's staying behind? She's even crazier than I thought.' Aloysius blinked, looking back towards the station again.  
'I wouldn't worry about her, she'll be okay. Look at it this way; Alley Cat and Mother have a guardian angel they don't know about yet.' Shane shrugged, keeping his hovercraft in tight beside Rebound's transport craft. 'She'll keep Barnaby busy long enough for us to make the run and get back to Wilkes with reinforcements.'  
'Take care Hunter, we'll be back for you all.' Knight uttered, shaking his head and getting back on task. 'Alright Scarecrow, what's the situation gonna be?'  
'Hard, fast and I pretty much guarantee we'll be getting wet. Right now though, get into that trunk and get that pest control organised.' Scarecrow replied, mostly focused on staying in beside Rebound's transport. 'Here, Falcon left this for you.'  
'If you think I'll need it.' Knight shrugged, picking up the Maghook on the floor and hooking it to his webbing. 'With you, it's always a necessity.'

Nudging Renshaw back, Knight hit the deck beside the trunk and yanked it open, eyes widening as he looked at the waiting Stinger missile system. Shifting his knees to keep his balance as Scarecrow started swerving through the hailstorm of trouble they were in now, Aloysius pulled out the gripstock and the first of several long black tubes.  
'What is that?' Renshaw asked, watching over Knight's shoulder as he put it together.  
'Stinger ready, Scarecrow.' Knight called, ignoring Renshaw as he got to his feet.  
'Make the most of it, Knight! We've got incoming Milan.' Scarecrow nodded, still focused on getting them out of trouble.  
'Get in that corner and stay there Renshaw!' Knight ordered, yanking open the right-hand sliding door and shouldering the missile launcher.

Lining up on the first British hovercraft, Aloysius smirked as he locked on and heard the tone, the death knell for that hovercraft.  
'This is for Alley Cat.' he uttered, squeezing the trigger and stepping back with the recoil. The back blast blew out the windows behind him, turning their hovercraft into a very cold, windy place to be but it was a minor inconvenience.

Ducking back into the cabin, Aloysius knelt and removed the expended tube before locking another one into place and resting the launcher against his knee. Patting down his webbing quickly, he found what he wanted and pulled them out, checking the strap was in good condition before making the switch. His amber-tinted glasses went into another pocket on his vest and the amber-tinted snow goggles went on in their place, offering a little more protection that was less likely to be lost.

Ready to go again, Aloysius didn't hesitate to step back into the open doorway, hunting for his next target. For him, this was less about protecting the Marines and civilians around him and more to do with getting back to Rufus before it was too late. Scanning the area carefully, he lined up on one of the four British hovercrafts hassling Book Snr and Rebound, waited a second for it to get occupied with trying to ram Riley Snr away and fired, sending another cloud of flame and debris up into the horizontally falling snow.  
'I hope you've been paying attention Renshaw. I need another shot.' Knight called, tossing Renshaw the used Stinger and yanking out his shotguns. 'Closer Scarecrow!'  
'I'm working on it Knight!' Scarecrow shot back, gunning the engine and slowly reeling in the trio of hovercrafts in front of them - Buck Snr and two British ramming into him.

Leaning out the open door and levelling his shotguns as Scarecrow swept around on the left side of the shoving trio, Knight braced his feet and fired both as once. One shell slammed through the windshield of the left-most hovercraft, the other thunked into the blurring fan, treating a chunk out of one blade. Working fresh rounds into both, Knight lined up again to take another shot at the trouble when Scarecrow did something unexpected.

Losing his balance, Knight flew across the cabin and landed heavily as the hovercraft slid through a lateral 180 degree spin at speed.  
'A little warning next time Scarecrow.' he growled, getting to his feet and heading back to the door, stooping to pick up his dropped shotgun.  
'I gave warning, you weren't listening.' Scarecrow replied, quickly jamming the big vehicle into reverse and engaging the turbofan again. 'Now deal with the problem!'  
'Easy pickings!' Knight grinned, flicking one shotgun back into the cabin and yanking out one of his pistols. Opening fire, he showed he was a master of weaponry, shotgun bouncing in his hand as he squeezed off a shot, pumped the action and got off another all without losing the rhythm of his pistol. Even as the mangled hovercraft slipped back from its spot, Knight maintained fire until he was dry. Ducking back inside, he reloaded quickly, catching the dropped shell Renshaw threw back to him and shoving it into the partially empty magazine of his other shotgun.

~!~#~()~#~!~

Holding on tight beside his father, Buck Jr was still trying to come to terms with this crazy ride as they were rammed repetitively by the British hovercraft on their right. Careering across the flat expanse of ice, side-by-side, engines roaring loudly, this wild adventure barely compared to anything Riley Jr had ever done on a mission with Scarecrow.

And suddenly Riley Jr saw the side door of the British hovercraft open. A thick black gun barrel protruded from it. Both men swore, swapping worried looks. A puff of smoke appeared from the end of the gun barrel - it was an M-60 grenade launcher - and a second later the whole side of their hovercraft suddenly exploded inwards. Wind rushed into the cabin.

Riley Snr was on the move even as a small, black object flew in through the side of their damaged hovercraft and clattered across the floor of the cabin. It was a small, black cylindrical object with blue numbers written along its side. As it rolled across the floor of the cabin, it looked like an ordinary grenade but Buck Snr knew it was a whole lot more than that. It was a nitrogen charge. The signature weapon of the SAS. It was so advanced that it had an anti-tamper device in it so no one could throw it back at the SAS.

Thinking fast, Snr hustled his son across the cabin and yanked the left -hand door open, putting as much distance between them and the aggressive hovercraft as they could. Leading the way, Snr dived out onto the rubber skirt and held on tight, Jr landing a moment later and yanking the door shut behind him. Locking eyes, they counted down the last couple of seconds on the timer and prayed that the Lexan glass windows could withstand the blast.

Smack!

A wave of ice-blue, liquid nitrogen slapped hard against the glass right in front of their faces. Both men instinctively jerked their heads back. Stunned to have survived, they went back to staring into the damaged hovercraft. Supercooled liquid nitrogen had splattered itself over every exposed surface inside the cabin. The whole of the inside of the window in front of them was dripping with gooey blue poxy. They both sighed in relief. The reinforced glass had held, just.

Pulling away from the window again when it broke out into a thousand spider webs, the pair swapped worried looks again, running out of ideas to avoid the hell the SAS was unleashing against them.  
"Rogers! Book II!" Rebound's voice exploded over their radios, providing them with a second chance to clear the danger zone.

Whipping around, the pair saw Rebound's hovercraft pull up alongside them. They could see Rebound through the windscreen, sitting in the driver's seat.  
"Get on!" Rebound called, bringing his hovercraft even closer as the door slid open. The rubber skirts of the two hovercrafts touched briefly then parted again.  
'Go Bucky, I'll be right behind you.' Snr nodded, struggling to his feet. 'You can do this Bucky.'  
'Don't be late dad.' Jr insisted, locking his eyes on the second hovercraft.

Launching across the gap, Buck Jr reached out to the scientists inside the cabin, managing to grab two of them so they could yank him inside to safety. Getting up quickly, he turned and reached out for his father, left hand locked around the doorframe.  
'Come on dad!' he called, leaning out as far as he dared.  
'Get there, Scarecrow!' Rebound yelled, attention caught by something in the distance.

And then out of the corner of his eye, Buck Snr saw it. Saw the black hovercraft materialise in the background behind Rebound's hovercraft. Saw the open door and the Milan anti-tank launcher appear inside it. He saw the familiar puff of smoke and saw the missile shoot out of its launcher and fly towards him, its looping white smoke trail spiralling crazily behind it.  
"Rogers! For God's sake, jump! Jump now! Shit!" Rebound called, close to panicking.  
'Come on dad!' Buck Jr yelled, reaching out to him desperately. Buck Snr jumped.

Sailing through the air, out the corner of his eye, Buck Snr saw the British hovercraft explode as it was hit by an American Stinger. But it had got its own missile off before it had been hit. He saw the white-tipped missile roll through the air toward him.

But the missile was pushed out of his mind when he crashed down on the rubber skirt of Rebound's hovercraft and had to scrabble for a handgrip. Strong hands locked around his wrists, heaving back against his weight to anchor him to the side of the hovercraft. Looking up, Buck Snr smiled up at his son, now straining to haul him to safety.  
'Come on dad, work with me here.' Jr grunted, one hand moving to grab his body armour. 'Come on.'  
'I knew you wouldn't let me down Bucky.' Snr grinned, getting a solid grip on the hovercraft skirt and hauling his body up to safety.

Bent over working to haul his father to safety, Buck Jr jumped when some pretty serious gunfire exploded against the skin of their hovercraft. Hearing a cry of pain from behind them, Buck Jr finally managed to get his dad inside and slammed the door shut to protect them. The civilians were smart, pressing against the floor with their arms over their heads.  
'Rebound!' Snr called, scrambling over the civilians to kneel beside the young Marine, blood staining his fatigues from a deep wound on his side. 'Bucky, take the controls.'  
'Scarecrow! We've got a serious problem here!' Book II radioed, taking the controls and looking around for the British.  
"I'm coming!" Scarecrow replied, somewhere behind them. Where Rebound?"  
'He got hit. We're hit bad and slowing down! We need to offload some weight so we can maintain speed!' Book II briefed, glancing down at Rebound as his father tried to help him.  
"As soon as we deal with this British craft, we'll be there." Scarecrow promised, already working on a plan. "Just keep going as best you can."

~!~#~()~#~!~

Dropping into the cabin of the British hovercraft they'd just taken over, Knight growled and holstered his pistols before digging out a field dressing and tying it around the new bullet hole in his left bicep.  
'I swear to God Scarecrow, you're not happy until every member of your team bleeds.' he groused, pulling the dressing as tight as he could. 'It's getting ridiculous.'  
'Quit complaining. You should be used to getting shot.' Shane shrugged, settling in the driver's seat.  
'Sure, by terrorists and other assholes. French and British related injuries are new.' Knight shrugged, wincing when his arm burned. 'Knew I should have looked into some better gear.'  
'It only gets worse from here, Knight.' Shane warned, shooting him a look. 'Mr Renshaw, can you hear me?'

Scowling as he listened to the conversation, Knight moved to the left-side door, peering out into the driving snow as Scarecrow approached the transport hovercraft. Both hovercrafts looked like hell. Theirs was missing the front windshield and the transport one, now with Book II at the controls, was pockmarked from nose to tail with bullet holes.

Spotting one of the remaining three British hovercrafts out the corner of his eye, Knight whipped up one of his shotguns and fired across the cabin. His shell blasted through the window in the right-side door and disappeared into the storm. A few moments later, one of the British hovercrafts came around the other side, a neat hole punched through the driver's side of the front windscreen. Looking closer, Knight saw blood all throughout the cabin and grinned, pleased with his fluke of a kill shot.

Opening the door, Knight stepped out into the icy wind, looking across the gap as Buck Snr stepped out with Kirsty. The poor girl looked scared to death as she stepped out into the freezing, speeding wind. Stepping out onto his own skirt, Knight reached out for her, ignoring everything else around them.  
'Come on honey! You can do it!' he called, trying to be reassuring but he really wasn't used to working around kids. 'I'll catch you! Reach out and jump! It's okay!'

Kirsty tentatively stepped forward. The ground raced by beneath them. Kirsty jumped. A timid, little girl's jump. Lunging forward, Knight grabbed her parka and pulled her safely into the cabin of their speeding black hovercraft.  
'Are you okay?' he asked, crouching beside her.

As Kirsty opened her mouth to answer him, the whole hovercraft was rocked by a ferocious impact. Knight and Kirsty were both thrown against the frame of the open doorway. Kirsty screamed as she fell out through the doorway but Knight managed to grab her flailing hand before it was too late. Yanking her back in close, Knight looked up just as Schofield swore. There at their right side, the same direction as the last impact had come from; another British hovercraft was hanging too close.

Tucking Kristy safely in against his chest, Knight braced for the next impact, a little surprised with Kirsty held on around his neck but he tried not to think about it. They weren't rammed again. Instead, the whole right-hand side of the cabin simply exploded inwards. Kirsty screamed and Knight rolled to protect her from the flying debris as Scarecrow was knocked on his ass beside them, a quick hand from Knight stopping him from flying out the still open door.

Trying to peer through the smoke to see where the British hovercraft was, Shane and Aloysius swapped a concerned look, they couldn't see anything for the smoke and haze. And then, after a moment, they heard the thud of feet landing on the skirt of their hovercraft and then saw two wraith-like figures emerge from the smoke and enter the cabin.  
'Get out of here, I'll handle them.' Scarecrow called, getting up just as one of the SAS men in the cabin dropped, shot twice by someone onboard the transport hovercraft.  
'Not a chance.' Aloysius shot back, rolling to his knees and pushing Kirsty behind him.

Scarecrow couldn't be sure what compelled Knight to do what he did next. Blind courage or selfless sacrifice, there was no way to be sure. All he knew was suddenly Knight launched from his crouched position on the floor and tackled the remaining SAS man across the cabin. Slamming up against the dashboard, they went at his hard and fast, SAS discipline against Bounty Hunter rage. The goggles proved to be near impossible for the SAS man to dislodge but that was about the only advantage Knight had. The ensuing hand-to-hand fight was all one-way traffic.

Then Knight did something that was definitely against all the rules. Getting one foot between the spread knees of his opponent, Knight lashed out with brutal efficiency, driving his shin into the unguarded groin of the SAS man. Grabbing him by the shoulders, Knight went even further, flipping them both out through the destroyed forward windscreen to crunch down on the forward hood, SAS landing first.

Tumbling across the small space, the black-clad pair traded blows, blood spraying out as the SAS commando punched Knight in the face, breaking his nose but the goggles stayed firmly in place. Letting off a right cross, Knight snapped his head back and got a bit of breathing space, not enough to be useful but it was a start. With no space to pull his own weapons and too great of a risk of hitting Scarecrow or Kirsty, Knight did the only thing he could to protect them. He latched onto the SAS commando and sent them both rolling off the hovercraft.

The high speed impact did what Knight couldn't do on his own. Crashing down onto the hard packed ice and snow, the commando once again took the brunt of the fall, Knight landing on top of him. Thinking fast, Knight grabbed his borrowed Maghook and turned, firing it back at the hovercraft they'd just left. Refusing to think about how crazy this plan was, Knight rolled off the stunned commando and held on tight as the bulbous head of the Maghook thudded into the metal cabin of the hovercraft, just above the rubber skirt.

Watching a second British hovercraft bearing down on him, Knight swallowed and thumbed the retract button on the borrowed Maghook, searching his pockets with one hand to find some kind of an answer to stop that charging hovercraft before it got too close and was able to run him over. There, in a pouch on his lower back, easily forgettable, he found exactly what he was looking for.

Tucking the Maghook under his arms and around his chest, Knight hooked out the frag grenade and looked up at the hovercraft, judging distance. If he got this right, he'd have five seconds to clear the area before he was cut to ribbons.  
'Fuck it.' Knight shrugged, yanking the pin and shifting back to a one handed grip on the Maghook before releasing the spoon and throwing the grenade towards the chasing hovercraft.

Five…

Hitting the skirt of their hovercraft, Knight scrambled up, deactivating the magnetic head as he made his way towards the cabin. It was only a matter of seconds now, if everything went the way he'd been planning.

Four…three…

New plan. He went up, aiming to get above the storm that would inevitably come. Grabbing a handhold, he scrambled up onto the roof and stretched out, trying to present the smallest target possible against the shrapnel.

Two…one.  
Boom!

Knight guessed the grenade must have gone off right under the rear fan. The big vehicle shuddered then dropped to the ground, dozens of deadly pieces of shrapnel tearing out from underneath in every direction. Then the nose went down and another wave of shrapnel raced out in a deadly arc as the front fan disintegrated.

Amazed to have survived, Knight crawled back along the roof slowly, hoping that Scarecrow wasn't feeling overly trigger happy. One wrong step here and all that effort would result in yet another bullet wound to match the one in his arm.  
'Scarecrow! Don't shoot!' Knight called, approaching the blown open cabin and dropping inside.  
'What the hell did you do back there?' Shane asked, moving out of the corner to check Knight was okay. 'I still need you to help me finish this one.'  
'Word from the wise, grenades and hovercraft don't mix.' Knight shrugged, sitting up again. 'Tossed a frag underneath the trailing one. It lost both underside turbofans.'  
'It's not over yet Knight.' Scarecrow grinned, helping Knight up and checking him for new injuries.  
'It never is when you're around.' Knight replied, looking down at Kirsty. 'You okay? Still got all your parts?'  
'No, I'm scared.' Kirsty replied, pulling out her asthma puffer and taking two deep, sobbing breaths.  
'Yeah, I know how you feel.' Knight nodded, drawing her into a gentle hug as Scarecrow took her puffer, used it then pocketed it. 'It's going to be okay, I promise.'

Still comforting the frightened little girl that should never have been stuck in a situation like this, Knight listened to the booming of waves against the cliffs nearby and watched Scarecrow as he opened a small compartment attached to the side of the dashboard of their hovercraft, mounted on the wall. Opening it, Schofield lifted out two silver canisters, each about a foot long and cylindrical with a wide green band painted around the middle.  
'Are those Tritonal 80/20 charges?' Knight asked, holding his hand out for one. 'These SAS assholes aren't playing around.'  
'Yeah, but why would the British bring these to Wilkes?' Schofield nodded, passing one across and sliding the other into one of his long, thigh pockets.  
'Only one reason to bring these things on any mission. Serious demolition work.' Knight shrugged, slipping the second canister into his own thigh pocket. 'So what's the…'

Slammed from the right again, the trio were thrown hard to the deck, Knight rolling to protect Kirsty from another heavy impact. Cradling her close with his injured left arm, Knight flipped them over and fired his right shotgun again, blasting another hole through the attacking hovercraft.  
'New plan Knight! We're 20 yards from the cliff!' Scarecrow called, wrestling with the steering vane in an attempt to avoid a long fall.  
'Kill the driver and it'll fall back!' Knight replied, taking another shot as they were rammed again.  
'Ten yards! No time!' Scarecrow warned, shunting the speeding British hovercraft ineffectually.  
'Okay, new plan!' Knight nodded, getting to his feet and drawing both pistols. 'You take Kirsty!'

Waiting for the next blow from the British craft trying so hard to kill them, Knight charged and leapt across the gap between them, firing both pistols at the crew as he landed. Looking up, he spotted the bright orange French hovercraft and nodded, catching onto the idea. Holstering his pistols, he took the bloody controls and swung back in close beside Scarecrow's hovercraft, hoping the remaining British troops in the area were watching what he was doing.

Catching onto his idea, Scarecrow jumped from his hovercraft onto Knight's, Kirsty clutching one hand desperately. Scooping the girl up into his arms, Knight opened the left-side door and backed up, knowing just how crazy this was.  
'Hold on real tight, I've got you.' he guided, breaking into a run and leaping the gap again. 'Come on Scarecrow! Before they both fall!'

Slamming to the floor inside Renshaw's orange hovercraft, Knight rolled just in time to protect Kirsty from a flying Scarecrow but didn't quite clear the gap enough. Scarecrow came flying through the open door and landed on top of Knight, knee connecting with his injured thigh.  
'Check your aim Scarecrow.' Knight growled, shoving him off and pressing his right hand to his thigh, hoping he hadn't done too much damage.  
'Like you gave me a chance.' Scarecrow replied, getting up and helping Kirsty to her feet. 'You all right, honey?'  
'I think so.' Kirsty nodded, shaking like a leaf but unharmed.  
'Don't look Kirsty.' Knight warned, undoing the outer bandage and setting that aside before checking the deep wound to his thigh.

Delving through his gear, he found another field dressing and worked that through the cut in his thermal wetsuit, making sure it was positioned properly to catch the blood from the reopened wound. That done, he rolled up the outer bandage again and reapplied it over the wound, biting back a curse when he pulled it as tight as he could stand.  
'Tell me this half-cocked, foul up of a mission will be over soon.' Knight groaned, getting to his feet slowly and moving to stand behind Scarecrow. 'I've got enough holes in my hide as it is.'  
'Not yet, Knight. We've still got a few hours of hell to get through yet.' Scarecrow replied, looking up at him quickly. 'I have to ask though, snow goggles?'  
'For those times when sunglasses can be lost.' Knight shrugged, looking down when Kirsty hugged up against him. 'You're doing fine Kirsty. It's all going to be okay.'  
'I'm still scared.' Kirsty admitted, looking up at Knight.  
'I'd be worried if you weren't. I do this for a living and I'm scared.' Knight grinned, lightly stroking her hair. 'What's important is you're in control of your fear.'

~!~#~()~#~!~

Knowing that time was running out for them, Buck Snr got one of the scientists onboard to take over Rebound's care and stood, wiping his bloody hands on his fatigues. He knew he looked a mess, covered in blood and exhausted but he still had more one thing to do before he could rest.  
'Bucky, I know you don't want to hear this right now but it's time. I understand that you'd rather it not happen like this but it's going to be okay. Remember what I told you, stick to your mission and don't look back. Scarecrow needs you now; he's going to rely on you to watch his back when things go to hell.' Riley Snr sighed, lightly squeezing his son's shoulders.  
'Dad, before you go there's something I want to ask you.' Book II uttered, setting the cruise control and looking up at him. 'Did I make you proud of me, dad? I've always wondered if you'd be proud of what I made of my life.'  
'I am so proud of you Bucky; you've obviously gone a lot further than I did. Here, I want you to make sure these get home, at least then you'll both have something that I always had close.' Buck Snr nodded, reaching under his collar to pull out his dogtags. 'I'm sorry it had to be this way Bucky. Be strong and look after your mother for me, together you'll get through this.'  
'I will dad; I'll carry these with honour and make sure mom is taken care of. I still don't want to lose you but I understand now.' Book II replied, accepting the tags and slipping them over his head, tangling the two chains together quickly. 'I'll miss you dad.'  
'I'll miss you too Bucky, your mother as well. Now promise me, promise you won't risk the lives of the civilians for me, no matter what.' Snr insisted, glancing down at Rebound, unconscious on the floor. 'You've got to get Rebound to safety, he'll die without help.'  
'I'll take care of them dad, I promise. I'll get them all to McMurdo, no matter what.' Book II promised, not taking his eyes off his father.  
'I will always be watching over you Bucky, wherever you go.' Snr promised, squeezing his shoulders gently. 'One last round and then it's time to part.'

Trying not to think about what was coming, Buck Jr turned his focus back to the journey ahead, plotting out a path and wondering if there was any way he could speed their journey and up the chances of saving Rebound.  
"Book, you still out there?" Scarecrow asked, somewhere behind them still dealing with trouble.  
'Yeah, we're here. Rebound's hanging in there, he might just survive.' Book II replied, glancing down at Rebound.  
"What about the hovercraft?" Scarecrow continued, coming up near them.  
'She's a bit beat up, but we'll make it through. We've got full power again.' Book II offered, turning to look as Scarecrow's bright orange hovercraft eased even closer.  
"All right, then. Stand by. You're about to get another passenger." Scarecrow directed; those words so haunting for Book II. He knew what they meant for his family.  
'Hold it steady Bucky.' Book Snr added, opening the door and bracing for what was to come. 'And keep an eye on that last British hovercraft.'

Stepping out onto the skirt, Book Snr looked across the gap to Knight, Kirsty tucked in against his side. Guiding Kirsty over in front of him, Aloysius held her waist firmly without hurting her as she reached out for Buck Snr, eyes wide in fear. Leaning out a little more, Buck Snr lightly brushed one outreached hand but he wasn't quite close enough.  
"Oh, fuck! It just launched!" Book II yelled, startling Knight but Buck Snr was ready and snapped to look at what was chasing them.  
'Fuck, this is bad.' Knight uttered, staring at their next big problem.

They saw the smoke trail first. It spiralled through the air. A thin, white, vapour trail. And in front of it - a missile. Its source - the last British hovercraft. It was another Milan anti-tank missile, and it stayed low, close to the ground. It rocketed through the air, covering the distance between them fast, and then suddenly, with shocking intensity, it slammed into the back of the orange hovercraft and detonated.

The hovercraft jolted ferociously with the impact and Knight lost his grip on Kirsty and fell forwards, turning to the left to avoid her. Before he fell, Schofield was there, latched onto his ankles to keep him from falling to the rushing ground. Lifting his head, Knight caught a glimpse of Buck Snr - lunging forward, off balance - desperately trying to get hold of Kirsty's hands as she fell down in between the two speeding hovercrafts.

Bringing Kirsty to his chest, Buck Snr curled up around her and held on tight, rolling to take the brunt of the impact and protect her fragile young body. And then suddenly, concussively, they hit the speeding ground. Bouncing and tumbling across the hard packed snow and ice, Buck struggled to hold onto Kirsty, their speed and rough landing working against him, trying to pull her from his arms and possibly kill her.

Finally they came to a stop, battered, bruised and sore all over but miraculously, still alive. Panting for breath, Buck uncurled slowly and looked out towards the fleeing hovercrafts sadly, his battle done and life winding down with every aching breath.  
'I'm sorry Bucky, I tried.' he whispered, hanging his head sadly. 'I'm not coming home this time.'  
'Bucky?' Kirsty asked, looking up at the older man curiously.  
'My son, Buck Riley Jr. I just have a feeling I'm not going to see him again.' Book sighed, looking up as the last British hovercraft came up beside them. 'I can only hope he understands.'

~!~#~()~#~!~

Staring back helplessly at the black lump in the distance, dwarfed by the last British hovercraft, Aloysius growled and silently promised that he would slaughter every SAS commando until he had Kirsty back again. He wasn't sure what compelled him to protect her; there was just something in her eyes that begged him to look after her.  
'What the hell are you doing Renshaw?' he roared, getting up after another wild slingshot to the left.  
'I was trying to avoid that!' Renshaw yelled as he pointed out through the destroyed rear end of the hovercraft - now their leading edge.  
'Oh, fuck me.' Knight groaned, following Renshaw's pointing finger. They were hurtling - in reverse - towards the edge of the cliff.  
'Why can't this fucking day just end.' Scarecrow groused, looking around for a solution.  
'I think it's about to.' Renshaw replied, close to panicking.  
'Think Scarecrow! What did you do on the other mission?' Knight asked, trying to prod Shane's memory of his first time in Antarctica.  
'We latched onto the top of the cliff with my Maghook.' Scarecrow replied, yanking out his Maghook quickly.  
'Thank you Hunter.' Knight uttered, unhooking his borrowed one and coming up beside Scarecrow in readiness for their jump.


	13. IS - Going Swimming

Bracing and shifting as the falling hovercraft went vertical, Knight glanced at Scarecrow, waiting for him to make the call. Getting Renshaw organised and holding tight around his waist, Shane nodded and fired his Maghook, holding on to the main part as tight as he could. Trusting in Shane's understanding of the situation, Knight fired up the cliff as well, getting a firm grip on the launcher and wondering just how much this was going to hurt.

Finding purchase somewhere up on the top of the cliff, the trio flew out of the falling hovercraft, Renshaw still clinging desperately around Schofield's waist as they swung back in towards the cliffs. Turning a little, Schofield wrapped his legs around Renshaw, holding tight and bracing for the impact against the cliffs.

Slamming into the cliff-face brutally, Knight bit his arm to hold back a pained cry when he felt something give - at least one rib had snapped in the impact. Slamming in beside him, Renshaw lost his grip for a moment and dropped, but Scarecrow still had hold of him, giving the unlucky civilian a chance to regain his grip.  
'now what?' Knight asked, looking up to the top of the cliff, some 150 feet above their heads.  
'any second now, one of those SAS assholes is going to appear at the top of the cliff. Think you can shoot him?' Schofield replied, looking up and freezing.

Instead of one man wearing a balaclava and holding a machine gun, there were two of them up there, peering out over the edge, looking down at the stuck trio. Thinking it through, Knight sighed and shook his head, hating their odds and knowing there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.  
'I can't do it Scarecrow. It's too risky to try and shoot either of them from here.' Aloysius admitted, watching the pair up top carefully. 'I'd be more likely to kill one of us than either of them.'  
'okay, then were going down. Breathe all the way down, and then at the last second, take a deep breath.' Scarecrow instructed, relaxing his grip on Renshaw.  
'down…oh fuck, this just gets better and better.' Knight replied, hoping he remembered how to do this properly. He didn't want to fall straight down, there could be ice just under the water line this close to the cliffs.

Bringing his legs up and making sure to keep a tight grip on the Maghook, Knight waited for Scarecrow's lead, not wanting to change the mission parameters if Scarecrow wanted to keep things similar to the first time through.  
'all right. Let's cut the crap. I'll be damned if I'm gonna wait for you to cut my rope. We're going.' Scarecrow growled, pressing down twice on the trigger of his Maghook.  
'right with you, Scarecrow.' Knight nodded, kicking off the cliff-face and sailing out a few feet before pressing down on his trigger twice.

At the top of the cliff, the grappling hooks responded instantly, collapsing inwards and slithering through the snow, past the two bewildered SAS commandos and over the edge. Peering over the edge again, the commandos could only watch as Knight, Schofield and Renshaw plummeted towards the crashing waves of the Southern Ocean far below.

Plunging into the ocean, Knight made doubly sure to hang onto his goggles, not really wanting to lose them if it could be helped. The water was so cold, bleeding through his compromised thermal wetsuit despite his efforts to keep it out. The chill also served to clear his mind, bringing back the true focus of his mission. He had to save Rufus, somehow. Trusting in his natural instincts, he started heading for the surface. His plan was simple enough, catch his breath then find Schofield.

Bursting through the surface, Knight barely had time to draw in another deep breath before he was driven back against the cliffs by a huge wave. Slamming into the ice, he swallowed another pained yell and tried to draw air in as the wave subsided and he was carried back out away from the cliffs. Sucking in the deepest breath he dared, Knight ducked back under the water and worked to put some distance between him and the cliff.

Popping up again, he looked back just in time to see Schofield get slammed into the cliff as well, the shorter Marine struggling to handle the monstrous waves threatening to crush them. Feeling something brush his leg, Knight shot sideways in the water just as Renshaw burst from the water, gulping for breath. A few moments later, Scarecrow popped up beside them as well, definitely looking worse for wear but the fun wasn't over yet.  
'Go under!' Schofield roared, spotting another incoming wave.  
'Oh hell.' Knight groaned, trying to ignore the pain in his chest as he dropped back under the surface, fighting to survive cold hell.

Watching the wave explode against the cliff, the trio headed back to the surface, reaching out to hang onto each other so no one got lost in the rough seas this close to the shore. Breathing shallow, Knight tried not to show how much he was hurting but one look at Scarecrow and he knew he wasn't doing much better.  
'We have to get further out. If we stay here any longer, we're gonna get pulverised against these cliffs.' Scarecrow decided, looking out to deeper water.  
'Where to?' Renshaw asked, holding up surprisingly well considering.  
'Okay, see that iceberg out there?' Shane pointed at a large berg that looked like a grand piano on its side, about two hundred yards out from the cliffs.  
'I see it.' Renshaw nodded, staring at the berg in the distance.  
'I've got it.' Knight added, not sure why he hadn't picked one closer to the cliffs.  
'That's where we're going.' Schofield directed, his memory of this part clear. 'Okay, then. On three. One. Two. Three.'

On three, the small group drew deep breaths and went under. They kicked off the cliff and breaststroked their way through the clear Antarctic water. Explosions of white foam flared out above their heads as they made their way through the water. Ten yards. Twenty. Renshaw ran out of breath, surfaced, took a quick gulp of air and then went under again. Knight was next up, hovering in the water for a moment before diving back down to rejoin the group. Schofield did the same, trying to hide his pain as he dropped back past Knight.

Fifty yards out and the trio broke the surface again. They were beyond the breaking waves now, so they stretched out into freestyle, powering through the vertiginous peaks of the towering forty-foot waves. Knight dropped behind a little bit, strength of will keeping him moving when all he wanted to do was curl up and sleep.

At last, they came to the base of the iceberg. It loomed above them, a wall of white, sheer in some places, beautifully curved and grooved in others. Magnificent, vaulted tunnels disappeared into the virgin ice. The big berg levelled off at one point, descending to the ocean where it formed a kind of ledge. They headed for the ledge.

When they got there, they saw the ledge was actually about three feet above the water. Unhooking two items from his vest, Knight stretched up ad managed to get one piton jammed into a small crevice on the underside of the ice. Right hand gripping the first piton, he hung his full weight off it and heaved up, stretching up to jam another piton into the face of the ledge.  
'Knight, keep an eye on things up here for a minute, I'll be right back.' Schofield instructed, disappearing back under the water and heading down.  
'You don't want much, do you Scarecrow.' Knight sighed, transferring all his weight to the upper piton and climbing up onto the ledge. 'Come on Mr Renshaw, up you get.'

Dragging the civilian up beside him, Knight rolled over and draped his right arm over his goggles, just grateful to finally be out of the water and still alive. Searching his pouches and pockets with his left hand, he dug out a small, hard case. Very much like a cigarette case, this one was thicker with a simple cross-clasp to keep it closed.  
'Somehow I doubt your cigars are going to be any good.' Renshaw remarked, sitting beside Knight and looking out to sea. 'Are you all right?'  
'Not anymore.' Schofield replied, still splashing around beyond the iceberg.  
'Let him play, Mr Renshaw. As for this, it's not a cigar container.' Aloysius explained, groaning as he sat up. 'Hopefully the contents survived the beating.'  
'So what is it?' Renshaw asked, spotting Scarecrow again. 'What are you doing down there?'  
'Quickly, get me out.' Scarecrow called, swimming back to the ledge.

Watching Renshaw haul Schofield out of the water, Aloysius growled when Shane immediately started sprinting across the ice. Clutching his ribs, Knight staggered to his feet and took off after him, Renshaw right there with them as well.  
'Knight, Shark is a sub!' Schofield called, not looking back as he hurdled an ice mound.  
'Copy.' Knight replied, slowing down as he digested that little piece of news. He remembered the strange French VLF radio transmission between the team in the station - Hyena - and a warship. But it hadn't been a warship, it was a damned submarine. Now they just had to destroy it somehow and do that before it launched the French eraser to destroy Wilkes. Well, Scarecrow had to do something, Knight wasn't feeling up to another swim.

Bringing up the rear of the group, Knight watched Scarecrow draw his Maghook and fish out the Tritonal 80/20 charge he'd pocketed earlier. Knight was still carrying the second Tritonal 80/20 charge, but if Shane was planning to use his, he had one hell of a plan to deal with that sub lurking beneath the waves.  
'Oh shit. Just what are you planning Scarecrow?' Knight uttered, picking up the pace again. It hurt like hell but he pushed through the pain to make it up the incline just as Scarecrow jumped off the iceberg and disappeared beneath the waves again.

Sinking down carefully, Aloysius opened the small case and sighed in relief. Tucked inside safely, unharmed by all the punishment Knight had endured, six ampoules of morphine and three needles. Normally Knight hated having to use strong meds to get through a mission but this was really taking a toll on him.  
'Morphine? Is this really the best time to be using that?' Renshaw asked, stopping behind Aloysius.  
'Not much choice. With the thigh, arm and at least three busted ribs, it's this or I'm out.' Knight shrugged, prepping an injection and working down the field dressing on his arm.  
'Do you have any idea what Lieutenant Schofield is doing down there?' Renshaw sighed, dropping down beside Aloysius as he jabbed the needle into his arm and depressed the plunger.  
'Doing what he does best. He's down there destroying a French submarine before it can destroy Wilkes. That's pretty much standard for the Scarecrow, he destroys stuff.' Aloysius replied, packing away the used needle and trying to ease the strain in his chest.  
'I notice that the other Marines that came are all wearing snow fatigues, but you're not. Why is that?' Renshaw continued, looking up when the iceberg shuddered. 'What was that?'  
'All likely hood, Scarecrow missed his first shot and the French tried to kill him.' Aloysius guessed, not really sure what Scarecrow was planning. 'As for the different uniforms, I'm no Marine, I'm Army Special Forces. I came along as a personal request by Lieutenant Schofield. We've been friends for a while, we work well together.'  
'So the bigger man we had to leave behind is also Army Special Forces.' Renshaw nodded, snapping to look as an immense spray of water fifty feet high and two hundred feet long shot up out of the water and fell slowly back down.  
'Yeah, different section but just as good. Come on, we'd better go fish Scarecrow out of the drink again.' Knight sighed, getting up and heading back towards the ledge to meet up with Scarecrow.

A few minutes later, they were back on the ledge, Aloysius flat on the ice as he hauled Shane up then retrieved his pitons, just in case he needed them again somewhere along the way. Schofield dropped down onto the ice between them - breathing hard, soaking wet, freezing cold. He was gasping for breath, overwhelmed with fatigue, and at that moment- with the French submarine destroyed, and his small team hopelessly marooned on an iceberg - the only thing in the world he wanted to do was sleep.  
'Well, this is a fine mess Scarecrow.' Knight groused, rolling over and easing up to sit again. 'Once again you've gotten us in way over our heads.'  
'We'll be okay Knight. Let me catch my breath and I'll show you.' Shane replied, rubbing his side lightly. 'Fair warning, the next bit will hurt.'  
'This whole day has been one injury after another. Why should that change now?' Aloysius countered, shaking his head slowly. 'But I'm starting to understand how you manage to make so many enemies.'  
'Shut up.' Shane growled, no real heat in his words but the warning was clear.


	14. IS - Cat & Mouse

Back at Wilkes, Emily was having a hard time of the mission as well. With the arrival of the SAS at the station, her role became clear and she got to work, sniping the fools as they emerged from their hovercrafts. She got three before she was forced to move from her protected spot but she'd already spent some time arranging escape routes.

Sniper rifle slung over her back and snugged in tight, she ducked into one of the many outbuildings and hugged the shadows, waiting for the chase team to track her. Barnaby had only sent four men to track her down; a mistake on his part and one Emily would punish him for later. Drawing both her combat knives again, she tensed and held ready, determined to do some serious damage to the SAS and protect those still in the station.

~!~#~()~#~!~

At the very same time, inside the station, Renard was frantically trying to release her cousin but without the key to his cuffs, she wasn't having much luck. She'd even tried searching Kaplan for a key but he didn't have one and she couldn't spare the time to search for the rest of his equipment.  
'Veronique, you have to get out of here.' Luc tried, not even sure why she was here.  
'No, I can't just leave you. I have to try.' Veronique replied, trying to pick the cuffs but without her kit, she wasn't having a lot of luck.  
'You'll die, just like everyone else. No one will escape this station alive.' Snake shrugged, looking up towards A-deck to check for the SAS.  
'You don't know that for sure.' Renard countered, glaring at the traitorous Marine for a moment before finally managing to pick one cuff free. 'Come on Luc, we have to go.'  
'What about Henri?' Luc asked, looking at their countryman on Snake's other side.  
"Renard, I can only assume you're still in the station. You've got exactly two minutes to disappear before the SAS are in a position to see the station complete." Hunter warned from somewhere outside. "Move it!"  
'There's no time Luc, we have to go now.' Renard coaxed, trying to pull him away towards one of the tunnels. 'We can escape, I will not leave you behind.'  
'Go, I will be fine.' Henri Rae nodded, resigned to his fate but he wanted Luc to go and tell their story to anyone who would listen.

Nodding sharply, Luc turned and ran with his cousin, the pair heading for the nearest ladder and starting up. Moving as quickly as they could, they reached C-Deck just as the SAS commandos breached the station proper and started down the ladders. With no other options, Veronique led Luc into the nearest tunnel and ran hard, not sure how she would go but she had to try.  
'Falcon, if you can hear me, I need help. We are trapped on C-Deck.' Renard tried, running full sprint down the tunnel with Luc right behind her.  
"I'm a little busy Renard. Do the best you can, I'll be back in position to help you in about 30 minutes." Emily replied, still somewhere beyond the main station building.  
'I do not think we will last five minutes.' Renard uttered, skidding to a halt when their progress was stopped by another group of commandos. 'I'm sorry Luc.'  
'You tried Veronique.' Luc replied, raising his hands as the commandos approached.

~!~#~()~#~!~

With several SAS bodies now cooling in the snow, Emily returned to her spot overlooking the central shaft of the base and put her eye to the scope, watching what was going on far below her. There wasn't much she could do from this position but she wasn't just going to sit back and watch either. It was a matter of finding the right plan.

The diving bell was on the way down, but Emily couldn't worry about that. The team already in the ice cavern would have to deal with them alone. For now she watched Barnaby, never actually putting her crosshairs on him but still keeping him in her sights. She could hear every word thanks to Renard, now cuffed to the same pole as her cousin, countryman and the traitor. For reasons knows only to the SAS though, Renard had been cuffed on her knees between Snake's feet.

Watching, listening and evaluating what could be done, Emily smirked as Barnaby rattled Snake's cage, showing that the British knew more about the ICG than anyone had expected. Barnaby kept poking at him, trying to get Snake to react but the traitorous Marine wasn't saying anything. He seemed to realise that staying tight-lipped was the only way to survive.

The Frenchmen weren't so smart, Champion explained their situation to Barnaby and then made the fatal mistake of demanding they were released. Barnaby took it in his stride, calling for Mr Nero to join him. Nero was a big man, easily six-feet-five with broad shoulders and impassive eyes. He showed no hesitation as he raised his pistol and aimed at Luc Champion but just before he could kill the bound man, Emily fired off a round of her own.

Her round tore through Nero's hand and knocked his pistol flying, some pretty serious damage done to the weapon in the impact. Thinking fast, Emily adjusted her sights and dropped her aim onto the cuffs binding Renard's hands. From this angle, the shot was extremely tough but Emily refused to be concerned. Lining up the shot, she fired and prayed it was good.

Snake roared in pain as he shot ripped through his left calf, leaving behind a deep gouge before it smashed through the chain holding Renard captive. She didn't need to be told twice, she scrambled to her feet and took off running, Emily putting down cover fire until Renard was up on C-Deck and still moving higher in an attempt to escape. Hoping that Renard was smart enough to keep moving, Emily swung her focus back to the remaining prisoners, only to find she was too late. Someone else had stepped up to finish the job, murdering the French prisoners in cold blood.  
"I am outside Emily. What about the other prisoners?" Renard reported, still heading for somewhere safer.  
'Sorry Renard, I tried my best but while covering you I lost them.' Emily replied, sliding off the frosted glass dome and shouldering her rifle. 'For now we stay out of sight and pick off the SAS as they come for us.'  
"Acknowledged Falcon." Renard clicked her radio off, leaving Emily in silence and solitude to deal with the next wave of troops coming out of the station.

Slinking through the snow, Emily paused when she saw another British hovercraft arrive at the station, the commandos disembarking and bringing with them Buck Snr and Kirsty. Growling low in her throat, Emily kept moving around the station, picking off her opponents and hoping she could get back in time to protect Riley as planned.


	15. IS - Finding Hope

Letting his thoughts drift, Aloysius half listened to Renshaw and Schofield talking but most of his attention was on what he perceived as a failure. Here he was, stuck on a massive fucking iceberg while his favourite person in the world was still stuck in Wilkes. Reaching for the alert unit on his wrist, Aloysius switched to the secondary frequency and jumped, feeling the extremely strong vibrations from one of the other units. His spare was still in his pocket so the signal he was picking up had to be going on between Rufus and someone else on the backup frequency. Unable to do anything to help Rufus for now, Aloysius switched back to the primary frequency, needing to focus on getting back before he could worry about helping Rufus.

Instantly concerned when Shane stood, Aloysius groaned and sat up, pretty sure he knew what Scarecrow was thinking. Somehow they had to get back to the coast and up the cliffs to get back in the battle but that was not going to be easy.  
'Where are you going?' Renshaw asked, not getting up. 'You gonna walk home?'  
'We should keep moving.' Schofield replied, helping Knight up without straining his injuries again.  
'Keep warm for as long as we can, and while we're at it, see if there's some way to get back to the coast.' Aloysius added, not looking forward to the effort but they couldn't just quit.  
'Not necessarily Knight. If I'm right, there's a way back into Wilkes not too far from here. We just have to find it.' Scarecrow shrugged, heading back towards the spot where the French torpedo had hit the iceberg. 'I saw something back this way, it might be useful.'  
'Useful is a relative term when you're around Scarecrow.' Aloysius remarked, trudging across the ice slowly. 'That said, nicely done with the Tritonal and the sub.'  
'Thanks, I think.' Scarecrow shot back, rubbing tired, gritty eyes quickly.

Listening to Renshaw and Schofield discussing iceberg behaviour, Aloysius kept his mouth shut and tried to relax, fairly sure the SAS wouldn't come out here to hunt them down. But still, isolated like this with nowhere to run or hide wasn't a very good strategic position.  
'Good thing you thought to pack a rope, we might just need that.' Shane remarked, leading them up the incline to stop on the edge of the iceberg, right above where the torpedo hit.  
'Just so long as you don't get any ideas about leaving it behind.' Aloysius nodded, releasing the rope from his webbing and holding it out.  
'You'll be holding one end so I wouldn't worry.' Shane replied, uncoiling the rope and handing most of it back to Knight before tying the free end around his waist.  
'You are fucking nuts Scarecrow.' Knight sighed, tying the other end off around his waist and grabbing the rope with both hands. 'Mr Renshaw, grab hold with both hands and don't let go.'  
'To you or the rope?' Renshaw asked, not quite sure what these two were planning now.  
'Whichever you can keep a firm hold of without slipping.' Aloysius sighed, controlling the rope as Scarecrow backed up to the edge and Renshaw grabbed his waist. 'On your mark Scarecrow.'  
'Here we go.' Shane nodded, easing over the edge and down.

Trying to ignore the burning in his chest as he leant back to hold Scarecrow stable somewhere below their feet. Whatever was down there had better be important, Knight didn't exactly like the idea of all this work and pain for no real purpose.  
'Hold it there!' Scarecrow called, finding whatever he was looking for.  
'Copy.' Knight replied, getting a firm grip on the rope and holding on tight. 'Sitrep!'  
'It's another station. ID unknown.' Schofield offered, swinging on the end of the rope. 'Attempting access now.'  
'Hold tight Mr Renshaw, this could get tricky.' Aloysius warned, still not seeing Scarecrow's full plan but the little bits he could see made sense so far.  
"Alright, I'm inside. Send Mr Renshaw down next and then use Hunter's Maghook to get down here, you're going to want to see this." Scarecrow briefed, switching to their radios instead of shouting up the drop.

Within minutes, Aloysius came swinging in through the open window, landing lightly on the floor near where Renshaw was sitting, huddled under three thick woollen blankets. Recalling the Maghook head and giving the cable a flick so it didn't get caught on anything, Knight resecured it to his webbing and pushed to his feet, looking around slowly.  
'You always find us the nicest places to shelter, Scarecrow.' he called, starting to search through the upside down station. 'What the hell is this place anyway?'  
'Little America IV, an old research station from the sixties. It floated out to sea in '69 when the Ross Ice Shelf calved.' Renshaw replied, looking up from where he was trying to warm up.  
'Well, there might be something useful in this old scrapheap of a place.' Aloysius muttered, digging through the piles of junk in an attempt to find anything helpful.

Ripping open one of the scattered boxes, Aloysius grinned when he came up with a couple of rolls of duct tape. To most people, duct tape was useful but not really vitally important but right now, bloodied and sore, the duct tape was precious.  
'I have never seen anyone get so excited over duct tape.' Renshaw remarked, watching Aloysius closely as he searched for more.  
'Then you don't know much about the many varied uses of duct tape.' Aloysius shrugged, snagging four rolls and straightening.

Listening to Renshaw and Schofield again, Aloysius repacked the wound to his right thigh and tugged the wetsuit closed over it before snagging the end of the tape and wrapping the area with the strong silver tape. He didn't just cover the damage but went high and low over it, sealing the area against water ingress. He paid a little more attention to their conversation when chemical weapons were mentioned but he was more interested in preparing for the next stage of the mission.  
'Here Knight, you might want some of this. I know you.' Schofield called, a small spool of white cord covered in white powder.  
'Magnesium-based detonator cord, you always have the nicest gifts Scarecrow.' Knight smirked, taping up the wound in his arm before grabbing the spool of cord and shoving it into another pouch in his vest. 'I could use some help here when you've got a minute Scarecrow.'  
'Sure, just a moment. I found something that might be very useful.' Schofield replied, disappearing into the second room again.

Returning a few minutes later with two old, dusty scuba tanks, Shane set them down and walked over to where Aloysius was standing. As strange as Knight looked with the bright silver bands around his injured thigh and bicep, Shane could understand the logic of what Knight was trying to do. Taking the tape roll, Schofield didn't need to be told what to do; he got what Knight wanted from him. Without a word spoken, Schofield took the tape to Knight's ribs, honestly surprised Knight had kept going without complaint despite the damage done.

With his ribs feeling more stable and comfortable, Knight accepted the tape back and waited for Schofield to remove his soaked fatigues shirt before repeating the gesture, drawing the tape tight enough to support without restricting Shane's breathing any more than a broken rib naturally did. Testing the restriction, Shane nodded and pulled his shirt on again, hiding away the bright silver tape. Knight didn't have that option, he'd gone right over his black fatigues and wetsuit but he wasn't concerned about being spotted by the SAS anymore.  
'So we're going to dive back in there? Three men with two tanks.' Aloysius grinned, securing the four rolls of tape to his webbing and heading for the tanks.  
'That's the plan. But first we have to give this gear a good clean.' Schofield nodded, glancing over towards Renshaw again.


	16. IS - Facing The SAS

Four more SAS assholes staining the snow red and Emily returned to her perch on the frosted dome, setting up her borrowed sniper rifle and going back to her watch on E-Deck. In just the ten minutes it had taken her to slaughter this latest team, the situation inside had gotten increasingly worse. Putting her eye to the scope, Emily felt sick to her stomach as she watched the goings on down below her perch.

Buck was on his knees, with his hands cuffed behind his back. Blood poured out from his mouth. His left eye was half-closed, puffed and swollen. Emily wasn't exactly sure how he'd been captured; her radio had been silent except for her conversation with Renard earlier. Since her escape from the SAS, Renard had been keeping a very low profile, somewhere near the station but she wasn't going to mess with the SAS again.

Shaking her head to clear the thoughts of Renard, Emily refocused on Buck, flinching when Mr Nero punched Buck hard in the face. Buck hit the deck. But if that was the damage done by Nero's left hand, Emily dreaded what his injured right could do on a good day. With that bullet hole through his hand, it was unlikely he'd ever have a good day with his right again but there was no way to be sure.

Swallowing the bile rising in her throat, Emily could only watch in horror as Barnaby turned to Kaplan, the angle from her post overhead allowing her to read Barnaby's lips at last. She really wished Buck had his radio active so she could hear exactly what was going on but for now, she'd make do.  
'Mr Kaplan, is Mr Riley telling me the truth?' Emily whispered, speaking out loud to help her translate Barnaby's lips. 'Mr Kaplan, if Mr Riley is lying to me, I will kill him. If you lie to me, I will kill you.'

Adrenaline kicking in now, Emily forced her right hand to stay relaxed, particularly her trigger finger as she waited to see Kaplan's response to Barnaby's offer. She had little doubt Kaplan would give up the team down below but she didn't want to give away her presence by shooting Kaplan. She had to be there to deal with Riley.  
'He's lying. There are four people down there. Three Marines, one civilian.' Emily sighed, shaking her head slowly as she read Snake's lips. 'You're a real asshole Snake. I hope you die a slow and agonising death.'

Helpless and hating every minute of it, Emily could only watch and wait for the right moment to act in the defence of her dear friend and comrade.  
"Falcon, are you out there still?" Knight's voice in her ear, barely more than a whisper as he tried to locate her again.  
'I'm here Knight, overwatching the situation.' Emily uttered, keeping one eye on Buck at all times.  
"What the hell is going on up there?" Knight asked, careful not to give away any details just in case the SAS were listening in on their frequency.  
'Nothing good. Rogers tried to protect the dive team. Snake gave them up within seconds. Barnaby is planning to feed Rogers to the whales.' Emily briefed, leaving out her role in this completely.  
"Isn't there anything you can do?" Knight asked, horrified by the thought of what he'd heard was coming. "Think Falcon, there has to be something."  
'The plan is set. Have faith in me, I will not fail in my mission.' Emily soothed, adjusting her angle as Buck was hoisted off the floor. 'Knight, promise me one thing.'  
"Name it Falcon." Knight replied, ready to do whatever he could to help.  
'When things go to hell, make sure Rogers is safe. You'll know the moment to act, make sure he gets out of the way of whatever Scarecrow does.' Emily instructed, totally calm as she made her final preparations. 'I have to go now; there is work to be done.'  
"Acknowledged Falcon." Knight replied, silencing his radio again.

Dangling head down over the water, Buck was totally calm, looking up at the frosted dome over the station. He knew Emily was up there, watching out for him like he'd asked of her but still, it was hard to face this a second time.  
'Hey Barnaby! There's one thing I love about being a Marine! We don't let some weak assed SAS bastards tell us when we're gonna die! We go out on our own terms!' Buck challenged, tipping his head back as he'd discussed with Emily.  
'Mr Nero.' Barnaby almost growled, frustrated with this Marine and his stubborn behaviour.  
'I am proud to bear the title of United States Marine!' Buck roared, his words more than just a display of pride from a long serving Marine.

Down in the diving bell, Knight kept his right hand firm on Shane's arm as they watched the small black and white TV screen mounted high on the wall. One second Buck had been talking, the next his head had snapped back, an explosion of blood fanning out behind his head. Then their radios crackled to life and the familiar battle cry of the Falcon rang out over their frequency. Keeping their eyes on the screen, Schofield and Knight smiled faintly as the SAS men they could see looked around as well, the call audible to them as well and so chilling in its intensity.  
'And so the Falcon calls out a death knell for a loving husband, devoted father and a damn good Marine. Semper Fi Buck, you were one hell of a man. We'll all miss you.' Shane uttered, hanging his head sadly.  
'I don't think it's over Scarecrow. Falcon asked me to make sure Rogers is safe when things go to hell. I don't know exactly what she expects me to do but while you're doing whatever you're planning to do, I've got my instructions to get Rogers out of the way.' Knight shrugged, wishing he knew exactly what Emily had meant.  
'Get him into one of the outer tunnels; north-west is probably the fastest option.' Shane suggested, not sure what the deal was but he'd play along.  
'How long do you think you could keep these SAS bastard busy?' Knight asked, coming up with an idea of his own. 'I'd need about ten minutes.'  
'I could probably do that. Barnaby will want to have some fun now that I'm around and I doubt I'm going to enjoy it.' Schofield nodded, looking up at Knight. 'What's the plan?'  
'You get to play with the SAS, I'm going to get Rogers to safety and then I'll be back to help you.' Knight replied, smirking as one of the SAS idiots hooked the Maghook rope to pull Buck in so someone could check he was alive. 'Renshaw, stay in the diving bell and pray no one notices you until this is over.'

Untying the cable around his waist, stripping off the bulky sixties era wetsuits he'd found and readjusting his scuba tank, Knight locked eyes with Scarecrow and nodded before dropping out of the diving bell and swimming for the surface. But rather than angle out to climb up onto the deck, Knight swam out a little more and hid under the deck, waiting for the moment to strike.

Watching the diving bell, Knight stayed perfectly still as Schofield was taken into SAS custody. He listened to Barnaby and smirked as Emily made her presence known again, two rounds pinging off the deck near Barnaby's feet. It was chaos all around, Barnaby kept on the back foot and forced to deal with multiple threats even as his own numbers kept dwindling. Four were sent out to hunt the sniper while the rest were kept in reserve to keep the station secure.

Watching and waiting, ever vigilant for trouble, Knight waited for the main group of SAS commandos to head towards the south tunnel with Snake and Scarecrow before heaving out of the pool with a great push. Scanning for trouble, Knight darted over to where Riley had been left and worked his ankles free, cursing the complicated knot securing the cable. Listening for trouble, Knight finally got the cable free and tossed it aside just as a round from above whistled past his ear. Whipping around, shotguns up, Knight spotted the dropped commando and nodded, holstering his shotguns again.  
'Thanks Falcon.' he uttered, hooking Buck under the arms and dragging him to safety in the north-east tunnel. His ribs burned in fresh pain as Knight moved, but he didn't dare stop, he had a mission to do.

Moving as quickly as he could, Knight entered the south-east tunnel and eased Buck down, moving to cover the fallen man. Coming down to one knee, Knight reached out to check for a pulse, trying to understand Emily's motives. To his great surprise, Riley had survived the shot to the head, his pulse strong and steady under Knight's fingers.  
'You are a woman of many talents Falcon.' Knight murmured, pulling out his last field dressing and wrapping it over the bloody wound on Riley's forehead. 'I don't know how you did that but well done both of you.'  
"How is Rogers, Knight?" Emily's voice whispered in his ear, deadly calm and confident.  
'He's alive, just out cold. I got him into the SE tunnel.' Knight uttered, scanning the area slowly to make sure there were no commandos sneaking up on him.  
"Good. I'll take Scarecrow now. Hit B and find Kirsty." Emily instructed, in the best spot to know exactly what was going on in the station proper.  
'What about Alley Cat?' Knight asked, backing away from Riley slowly, still watching out for the SAS somewhere down here.  
"The SAS haven't found him yet. If they had, Barnaby would be dead." Emily promised, sticking to her word that she'd keep everyone in the station safe.  
'Copy that. Heading for B.' Knight nodded, taking off back around the outer tunnels.

Running hard back the other way, hoping he'd made the right choice to leave Riley in such an exposed spot, Knight swung into the east tunnel, remembering where the nearest ladder was. With startling speed, his luck ran out. Whether by chance or prior knowledge, two SAS commandos entered the east tunnel, right in front of Knight. For a moment, all three were in shock, none of them expecting to see the other right there.

Battle instincts kicking in, Knight tried to stop or turn around but he lost all traction against the ice and slipped, crunching down back first against the icy floor. But this had another rather unexpected affect on the situation. His gear didn't manage to stop his slide completely. Knight slid on his back out of control and crashed into the commandos in his way. Grunting at the impact against his already burning chest, Knight managed to get one pistol up and blow one commando off his chest but the other was faster, rolling clear and whistling a sharp warning to the others.

Finally stopping his slide, Knight rolled over and sat up, looking around at the group now standing around him. Two commandos he could handle but nine was pushing his abilities too far. Dropping his pistol, he raised his hands and looked around at the commandos surrounding him.  
'fuck.' he swore, out of options. 'Fuck!'  
'Well, what do we have here? Another infiltrator.' Barnaby mused, joining the circle around Knight.  
'He came out of the east tunnel.' one of the commandos offered, stooping to pick up Knight's pistol.  
'You think you're the only one here hunting Marines?' Knight spat, glad Scarecrow wasn't around to hear this one. 'I got orders to apprehend Lieutenant Schofield and take him back to America.'  
'And just what makes you think I'm going to let you have Scarecrow?' Barnaby asked, watching Aloysius closely. 'I have my own plans for him.'  
'Honestly, I don't care either way. Either I take him back to face his trial or he dies here and I take back proof he's gone. I'm just trying to do my job.' Knight shrugged, knowing he was taking a big risk here but it was worth a try.  
'I received reports of a man wearing all black helping Scarecrow during the hovercraft chase. Would that have been you by any chance?' Barnaby pushed, catching Knight in his story.  
'Had to convince him I was trustworthy. He knew I wasn't a Marine, ain't hard to tell the difference between Marine Recons and Army Special Forces. By jumping in to help against your forces, I got his trust, now I can take him.' Aloysius replied, shifting into a more comfortable position. 'But now I understand why no one else wanted to chase him down. He's a crazy fuck, that's for sure.'  
'Why send a Ranger to hunt Scarecrow?' one of the other commandos asked.  
'I'll pretend I didn't hear that insult.' Knight snarled, harsh eyes locking on the speaker. 'Anyone with a brain knows Rangers are weak. The real big men of the Army got the job, Delta.'  
'A lone Delta operator all the way out here? Well this is a very interesting turn of events.' Barnaby mused, watching Knight closely. 'But clearly you are not good enough either, looking at your appearance. It seems Scarecrow is too much for you as well.'  
'That's what you think. This wound in my thigh is French, the bullet in my arm British and my ribs by Mother Nature.' Aloysius replied, showing no hesitation as he got to his feet and turned to Barnaby. 'I do not see a single speck of blood on your wetsuit. So who is the real soldier here?'

Snatching his pistol back, Knight didn't hesitate to shoulder his way through the group and dive into the pool head first, disappearing into the depths as quickly as he could. Popping up inside the diving bell to catch a few breaths, Aloysius pushed out again and returned to his spot under the deck, watching and waiting for his next chance to act.

Covered in Snake's blood, Shane was marched out onto the deck again and could only hope someone was watching out for him. Riley's body was gone and there was no sign of Knight either. Hopefully Knight escaped the area so Schofield was free to act against the SAS. Then he saw it, a flash of silver through the decking giving away Knight's hiding spot. The commandos hadn't noticed it, they were all distracted by the main event - his execution.

Straining to keep one eye on Scarecrow, Knight wondered just what the hell he was doing accepting a cigarette from the big brute standing behind Barnaby. From this angle, Knight could see the idea of smoking was a new one to Scarecrow, he went a little green but none of the commandos seemed to notice it. Dropped to the deck and swung out over the pool, Scarecrow hung onto that cigarette, displaying confidence he couldn't be feeling as he secured it between his lips and fiddled with the chain of his cuffs.

Knight was scrambling to come up with a solution that wouldn't get them both killed but Schofield was so calm and relaxed as he was lowered into the water. Leaving the cover of the deck, Knight approached Scarecrow quickly, staying deep enough that his presence wouldn't be noticed until Knight was ready. Then he saw it, a bright flash of light at Schofield's wrists and remembered the detonator cord they'd found. The cigarette wasn't just for show, he'd had the plan all along.

Rolling to avoid one of the killer whales in the pool, Knight pressed a pony bottle into Scarecrow's hand and dived deeper, heading back towards the diving bell. Spinning underneath and powering through the gap, Knight popped up into the bell and removed his respirator, looking up at Renshaw with a grin.  
'It's not over yet Renshaw. I needed a breath of space.' Knight warned, activating his radio. 'Falcon, you still in overwatch?'  
"I'm still here Knight. What the hell is going on down there?" Emily replied, sounding a little frantic as she spoke.  
'Nothing good but we're handling it. We'll need some cover in a minute, we're heading straight for C. Maybe even B if it can be managed.' Knight briefed, listening for trouble beyond the diving bell.  
"Copy that Knight, your move first. I'll put down as many as I can before it's time to bug out again." Emily confirmed, calming now that she knew things were going to plan.  
'Wait for the signal, you'll know it.' Knight nodded, so glad Emily was still in a spot to help them.  
"Flasher in the air, I hope that's not the signal." Emily warned, a growl of irritation in her voice.  
'Nope but if he's doing that I've got to go.' Knight sighed, disconnecting his radio and shoving his respirator back into his mouth. One last look at Renshaw and he disappeared back into the frigid depths, ready to end this mess with the SAS.

Coming back up beside Scarecrow as the killer whales started chasing a small stream of bubbles heading down, Knight made a mental note to ask later and paid close attention to what Schofield was doing. Spotting the crossbow in Scarecrow's hands, Knight nodded and unhooked his borrowed Maghook, hoping his aim held.

Scarecrow went up first, doing another vertical sit-up to clear the water. Kicking hard, Knight popped up and fired, the Maghook head flying up to slam into the ice over the east tunnel. Slamming his thumb down on the retract button, Knight held on tight and hoped Emily's aim was good as she opened fire, adding to the general chaos around the central pool. Trusting Schofield to have his own plan, Knight arched his back and swung into the B-Deck tunnel, releasing his grappling hook as she slid across the floor.

Up on his feet and Knight whipped his pistols out, hearing footsteps ringing on the remnants of B-Deck just near his position. Taking up the slack in his triggers, he came about two seconds from blowing Scarecrow away. Releasing his triggers, Knight nodded and waited for Scarecrow to catch up with him.  
'Nice of you to wait.' Scarecrow growled, moving up to lead their charge.  
'You had your plan, I had mine. We do the best we can with any given job.' Knight shrugged, firing at a SAS commando that suddenly came around the corner in front of them. 'Here, get some decent gear and keep moving. We have to find Kirsty.'  
'Where are they keeping her?' Schofield asked, crouching and searching the dead body.  
'I don't know but Falcon said to search B-Deck. She'd be the one to know, her overwatch position lets her see what we miss.' Aloysius shrugged, keeping watch for any trouble as Schofield searched.

Armed and ready for action, Schofield entered the circular outer tunnel of B-Deck just in time to see two SAS commandos racing towards him. Bringing up the rear, Knight whipped up both pistols and fired them simultaneously, the rounds whooshing past Schofield's ears. The other two men went down instantly in matching, gory fountains as Knight's bullstoppers went to work on them. Never missing a step, Knight took the lead, hurdling the fallen bodies and forcing Scarecrow to really move fast.

Suddenly a door to their left opened and both men reacted to the emerging commando. He managed to get a shot off before a combination from Knight's pistols and Schofield's MP-7 sent him flying back into the room from whence he came. Knight entered the room after him with Schofield bringing up the rear. It was the common room.

They saw Kirsty instantly. They also saw two more commandos who were in the process of shoving the little girl toward the door. Schofield was wary of getting too close, not willing to put Kirsty in any more danger. Knight showed no such hesitation, Kirsty would be safe with him. One of the commandos froze at the sight of Knight, sopping wet, with his duct taped injuries and a dark look on his face. Going with standard training, the commando pulled Kirsty closer and levelled his pistol at her head.  
'I'll kill her mate. I swear to fucking Christ, I'll paint the walls with her brains.' the commando said calmly, his hands steady as Knight looked at him.  
'Kirsty.' Knight called softly, calming levelling his pistols at the fools daring to threaten Kirsty.  
'Yeah.' Kirsty nodded, meek and frightened but glad to be back near friends.  
'Shut your eyes, sweetie. It's okay.' Knight soothed, fairly sure he'd have to explain things to Scarecrow later.

Coming up beside Knight, Schofield noted the look of surprise in the eyes of the two commandos before the friends opened fire. Knight got the one who dared threaten Kirsty, Schofield nailed the other one through the head. Kirsty fell with them but was protected from the cold, hard floor by landing on the man who had tried to harm her.  
'Don't look at them, sweetie. You don't want to see that.' Knight warned, securing his weapons and moving forward. Kirsty turned around and looked up at the pair. Knight picked her up and held her in his arms, ignoring the pain from his ribs to tend to her. Then Kirsty buried her head in his shoulder and cried.  
'You don't deserve that reputation of yours Knight.' Shane teased, coming up beside them.  
'If you value your family jewels, you'll shut up Scarecrow.' Knight growled, not in the mood for teasing at the moment. 'Now what's the plan? We've got Kirsty back, what next?'  
'We deal with the SAS and retake this station again.' Scarecrow replied, looking around quickly to work out their location. 'Come on, we're going this way.'  
'Should I get down?' Kirsty asked, sniffling sadly as she lifted her head.  
'No, it's okay Kirsty. You just hold on tight, everything will be okay.' Knight soothed, left arm wrapped around her back as he took off after Scarecrow. 'Hold on real tight now.'  
'I will.' Kirsty promised, latching onto Knight's webbing and holding on as tight as she could.  
'Good girl.' Knight grinned, taking off behind Schofield.

Kirsty did a strong impression of an octopus, completely wrapping around Knight's chest and abdomen, leaving his hands free to protect them both. Reloading his pistols and holstering them smoothly, Knight wrapped his left arm back around Kirsty and drew one of his shotguns as he swung around to cover Scarecrow.

Racing around the outer corridor, Knight very nearly slammed into Schofield's back when he came to a sudden stop. Managing to stop before Kirsty was squashed between them, Knight almost laughed as Schofield put his next plan into action. They'd found the fuse box. Opening that, Schofield turned and yanked open the storage closet on the other side of the corridor.  
'Hurry it up Scarecrow, we're about to have company.' Knight hissed, turning and listening for anyone coming towards them.  
'I know Knight, I've got their frequency. This will only take a moment.' Schofield replied, puncturing the bottle of ammonia with the butt of his pistol and positioning it to drip onto the wire he'd exposed in the fuse box.  
'Strobe effect, very nice.' Knight nodded, looking around as the lights inside the base flickered off and on in time with the dripping ammonia.  
"Knight, what is going on in there? What the fuck happened to the lights?" Emily's asked, a little out of breath but still around to help.  
'Scarecrow did it. We've got Kirsty and now Scarecrow's got a plan to deal with the SAS.' Knight replied, not exactly thrilled to be the go between but they'd make do. 'What can you see from your side? We're running blind down here.'  
'Avoid A, Barnaby recalled his men from the perimeter. Either get out in the next two minutes or avoid it all together." Emily warned, using her exterior position to advantage.  
'Copy that Falcon, I'll pass the word.' Knight nodded, glancing down at Kirsty. 'Keep us posted.'  
"Wilco Knight." Emily confirmed, going silent again.  
'Steady Scarecrow. News from Falcon. Avoid A-Deck. Barnaby recalled his perimeter guards. They'll be on A in two minutes.' Aloysius briefed, still running hard to stay in behind Scarecrow.  
'Fuck, so much for that plan. New plan.' Schofield hissed, skidding to a stop. 'Knight, head for C-Deck. Wait for me near the bridge controls. I need something from one of the pests coming in from outside. Keep your heads down and stay out of sight. I'll only be a few minutes.'  
'Don't be late Scarecrow. I can't do everything.' Knight replied, rolling his eyes behind his glasses.  
'I'll be quick, everything will make sense when I get back Knight.' Scarecrow promised, racing off towards the nearest ladder.  
'Come on Kirsty, its okay.' Knight shrugged, giving Scarecrow a few moments to put a gap between them before taking off. 'You alright on there? Not too uncomfortable?'  
'No, it's okay. Some of your gear digs in but I'm okay.' Kirsty replied, tightening up her grip a little bit more.  
'Careful sweetie, don't squeeze too tight.' Aloysius warned, holding her close and heading for the same ladder Scarecrow had used. 'I broke a few ribs earlier.'  
'Oh, sorry.' Kirsty uttered, relaxing her grip just a little but she still wasn't going to be removed any time soon.  
'Nothing to worry about.' Knight grinned, starting down and hoping their luck held.

Landing on C-Deck, Aloysius headed straight for the bridge controls, listening intently for anyone coming near their position. Sinking down to one knee, Knight gently pried Kirsty off and raised his pistols, Kirsty safe between his back, the bridge controls and the ice wall. Hearing footsteps in the flickering light, Knight whipped around and just about blew Scarecrow away again.  
'I swear I'm going to put a bell on you before I blow your head off Scarecrow.' Knight uttered, holstering his pistols and hoisting Kirsty up again. 'I hope you know what you're doing Scarecrow.'  
'I like you, you're funny.' Kirsty giggled, latching on around Knight's neck again.  
'I've done this before, it'll work.' Scarecrow nodded, leading the way out onto the bridge.  
'I'm doing my best Kirsty.' Aloysius grinned, lightly stroking her hair. 'Still feeling afraid?'  
'A little but not so much anymore.' Kirsty replied, resting her head on Knight's shoulder lightly. 'I feel safe with you.'  
'Shh, we can't be noticed before I'm done here. Scarecrow hissed, leading them to the middle of the bridge and kneeling. 'Knight, give me one of those rolls of tape.'  
'And you thought I was crazy to grab so many rolls.' Knight muttered, unhooking one roll and handing it over. 'Whatever happens Kirsty, you hold on tight to me and don't let go.'  
'I will.' Kirsty promised, finding a comfortable grip. 'I'm scared again.'  
'So am I Kirsty. Just hold on and I'll keep you safe.' Knight whispered, waiting patiently for Schofield to do whatever he was planning. 'Falcon?'  
"Not liking this but I'm here Knight." Emily replied, definitely irritated but at least she'd stuck around. "Need something?"  
'Yeah, next chance you get, put one in Barnaby's shoulder for me, will you? I'd rather do it myself but I'm kind of busy.' Aloysius requested, looking down at Scarecrow again.  
"It'd be my pleasure Knight. Either one in particular?" Emily chuckled, really pleased to finally have a shot at Barnaby.  
'Right and make it as bad for him as you can.' Knight replied, allowing his cruel side to show for a moment. 'He crossed the line with me earlier.'  
"So I noticed. You've got the gift of the gab Knight, I read every word you said. Don't fuss, I won't tell Scarecrow." Emily replied, shuffling into a new position. "As soon as the lights stop flickering, first shot is for Barnaby."  
'Thanks Falcon.' Knight grinned, wondering just how much damage Emily could do with just one shot into Barnaby's shoulder.

Finished with whatever he was up to, Schofield handed back the remainder of the duct tape roll and shifted to a more comfortable position on the bridge. Easing down, Knight shuffled Kirsty in his lap and lightly stroked her hair, calming the frightened young girl again.  
'When this is all said and done Scarecrow, we need to sit down and talk.' Knight uttered, resting his chin lightly on Kirsty's head.  
'I know. I was hauled past the storeroom earlier. I didn't see Alley Cat or Mother inside.' Shane nodded, truly sorry he didn't have better news.  
'Alley Cat is still around, I don't know where exactly but he's not dead.' Knight insisted, deciding not to tell Scarecrow about the alert bands. 'And if Alley Cat is alive, Mother is too. We just don't know where they are and that's fine.'  
'When it happens, just let gravity do the job. We'll be okay.' Scarecrow warned, vague with his warning but Knight had a feeling it was going to be another painful incident.

A few minutes later, the British found the fuse box. The flickering stopped and the lights to the station come on again. The station glowed white under its bright fluorescent lights. It didn't take the SAS long to spot the trio on the bridge. Schofield stood up on the bridge as the remainder of the SAS unit - about fifteen men - adopted positions on the C-Deck catwalk, surrounding them. It was a strange sight - Schofield, Knight and Kirsty out in the middle of the shaft, standing in the center of the retractable bridge, wile the SAS took up positions on the circular catwalk all around them.

Spotting Barnaby down on E-Deck, Knight glanced up for a second before Emily's round slammed into Barnaby's right shoulder, blowing out the back and slamming into the wall behind him. Letting out an ungodly roar, Barnaby clutched his bleeding shoulder and glared up at the frosted dome roof, scowling at the sniper he couldn't see or seem to catch.  
'You three! Find that damn sniper! Mr Nero, go with them! I want them brought back alive!' Barnaby ordered, pointing to three men on the south-eastern side.  
'Falcon, move! Four men coming your way. Nero among them.' Knight warned, unable to help the smile that crossed his lips.  
"Moving now. Stay sharp, out of range for a while." Emily reported, already on the move by the sounds of things.

Hoping like hell that Schofield really knew what he was doing, Aloysius stayed in close with the Marine, Kirsty safe between them, still clinging to Aloysius' chest. From his angle, Knight could see the Tritonal charge Schofield was holding up wasn't armed but it was doubtful any of the commandos knew that much.  
'I've armed the Tritonal charge!' Schofield shouted, throwing his plan into action. 'And my finger is holding the ARM button down! The timer is set for two seconds! If you shoot me, I'll drop the charge and we all die!'  
'This is your great plan?' Knight hissed, refusing to believe Barnaby would fall for such a ploy.  
'And if you shoot the girl, I'll definitely drop the charge!' Schofield continued, ignoring Knight's question as he challenged the SAS.  
'Lieutenant Schofield, this is not you. You would sacrifice your own life, I know that. Because I know you. But I also know you could never sacrifice the girl.' Barnaby replied, seeing right through Schofield's bluff.

Reaching out, Knight very carefully took the Tritonal charge from Scarecrow, careful to make it look like the charge was active and very, very dangerous. Worried that Knight's move would throw their plan out, Schofield looked up at the taller man and saw the understanding in his eyes. Knight had figured it out, he knew what Schofield was planning and reacted accordingly.  
'So much for attempting to arrest Lieutenant Schofield.' Barnaby called, trying rather unsuccessfully to stop the bleeding from his shoulder.  
'Like I said Barnaby, capture or death, I don't really care. Now, I suggest you back off!' Knight yelled, scanning the men on the catwalk then glancing nervously over towards the bridge controls.  
'That would dishonour your unit. You hardly seem the type to do that.' Barnaby countered, not so good with reading Knight but he was trying.  
'I already dishonoured my unit. Bringing Lieutenant Schofield in for trial was my ticket back in.' Knight shrugged, hoping Schofield would forgive his story.

Watching the SAS, Schofield and Knight had no idea if the plan would work but one of the men eventually figured it out. Eyes lighting up when he heard the report over his stolen SAS radio headset, Shane nodded faintly and readied for the fall without making it obvious. In front of him, Knight smiled grimly and tightened his hold on Kirsty, still watching the commando over by the bridge controls.

There came a loud mechanical clanking sound from somewhere within the walls of the alcove and then suddenly the bridge underneath their feet jolted as it came apart at the center and began to retract.

As soon as the bridge began to retract, three of the SAS soldiers fired at the trio, but they had already dropped out of sight and the bullets whizzed over their heads. Schofield, Knight and Kirsty let themselves fall down into the shaft. They fell fast. Down and down, until they splashed into the pool at the bottom of the station. It happened to fast that the SAS men up on C-Deck didn't know hat was going on. It didn't matter. For it was then that the two nitrogen charges that Schofield had taped and tied to the ends of the retractable portions of the bridge retracted and explosively went off.


	17. IS - Taking A Breath

Surfacing again, Knight looked around at the destruction Schofield had caused and whistled appreciatively before turning his attention to the young girl still clinging onto his chest. Apart from being a little winded by their impact with the water, she seemed to be just fine. Adjusting his goggles quickly, Knight struck out for the nearest edge, rolling onto his side to keep Kirsty's face out of the water.

Reaching the edge, Knight lifted Kirsty out and swung up onto the deck but Schofield was nowhere to be seen. Shifting in readiness to dive back in, Knight sighed in relief when Schofield popped up near them.  
'Stay with Kirsty, I'll deal with Barnaby. He knows he's beaten; he's only got one option left. He'll try for the cavern, it's his only choice. While I'm down dealing with him, sweep the base for British erasers and any SAS men we might have missed. Check for Mother and Alley Cat as well, they've got to be in here somewhere. And inform Falcon of the situation, she'll be glad to know we're all still alive and holding in there.' Schofield instructed, catching sight of Barnaby shouldering into his scuba gear. 'A second pony bottle would be helpful if you can spare it.'  
'Yeah, I can refill the first one from the tanks I saw earlier.' Knight nodded, handing over the second pony bottle on his vest. 'Be careful Scarecrow.'  
'Copy that.' Schofield grinned, disappearing back under the water.

Heaving to his feet, Knight winced and clutched his ribs, swaying for a moment before regaining his balance. The duct tape was still holding firm but after all the added abuse since first breaking them, the few layers Schofield had placed weren't enough anymore.  
'Are you all right?' Kirsty asked, reaching out to take his left hand lightly.  
'I'll live; my ribs are killing me right now.' Aloysius nodded, straightening slowly.  
'Is there anything I can do to help?' Kirsty tried, compelled to do something to help him after all he'd done for her.  
'Well, you can try. The duct tape is working as temporary rib strapping but it's not doing enough. Take this and add a few more layers.' Knight explained, unhooking a full roll from his vest and handing it over. 'You don't have to worry about hurting me; it's got to be tight.'  
'Okay, I can do that.' Kirsty grinned, finding the end as Aloysius eased down to the deck again.

She used almost a full roll but Knight certainly felt better by the time Kirsty took his belt knife and severed the make-do strapping from the roll. Taking a few testing breaths, Aloysius nodded and got to his feet, using the last of the roll to reinforce his thigh strapping before tossing the empty roll off to the side.  
'Go get a blanket and stay put down here. I'll be as quick as I can.' he instructed, stroking her hair lightly. 'You're safe now; it's all going to be fine.'  
'I believe you.' Kirsty nodded, turning and running towards the southern tunnel.  
'Some times I could really hate you Scarecrow.' Knight uttered, drawing his pistols and starting to clear the base.

~!~#~()~#~!~

It was 9:00 pm when Schofield stepped back up onto E-Deck. It was 9:20 when Aloysius returned from searching the station, loaded down with a random assortment of weapons he'd found along the way. The news wasn't all great though. Despite Knight's thorough search, looking in every possible hiding spot including the dumb waiter, Rufus and Mother were nowhere to be found. Adding to their concerns, Emily was no longer responding to her radio either. Knight had been trying since Schofield went down into the pool after Barnaby but the Falcon had stopped calling. They couldn't worry about her now; they still had work to do.

Schofield sat down on the edge of the pool on E-Deck, exhausted. It had now been more than twenty-four hours since he had last slept and he was beginning to feel it. Beside him, Renshaw's scuba gear from Little America IV lay dumped on the deck, dripping. It still had the long length of steel cable tied to it - the cable that stretched back down through the water, under the ice shelf and back to Little America IV. Schofield shook his head as he looked at the ancient scuba gear. Behind him on the deck sat two of the British team's sea sleds - sleek, ultra modern unit’s the exact opposite of Little America IV's primitive scuba gear.

Kirsty stood on the deck behind him, watching him, concerned. Schofield took a deep breath and shut his eyes. Then he grabbed his nose and with a sharp crack his broken nose went back into place again.  
'Doesn't that hurt?' Kirsty asked, rearranging the blanket she was wrapped up in.  
'Depends who you ask.' Aloysius grinned, wandering over to join the group. 'You did a good job Kirsty, my ribs feel a lot better.'  
'It hurts, you just won't admit it.' Shane replied, rolling his eyes. 'Don't let him fool you Kirsty, he's hurting too.'  
'I already knew that. I taped his ribs again.' Kirsty smiled, walking over to sit between them.

Digging through his many pouches and pockets, Aloysius chuckled as he pulled out a couple of granola bars and a slightly melted chocolate bar.  
'Here, eat something. I'd rather coffee but this'll have to do.' Knight offered, holding out one of the granola bars for Schofield.  
'Is there anything you don't carry around?' Schofield asked, certainly grateful for a chance to grab something to eat but it was a strange thing to carry.  
'I learned a long time ago that's best to eat whenever you have a chance. We've been on the go a little over 24 hours straight, eat before you pass out from exhaustion.' Aloysius shrugged, making a real effort to behave properly around Kirsty. 'You're handling this better than I expected Kirsty, not many kids would be so calm while all this is going on.'  
'I know I'm safe so long as I stay with you two.' Kirsty replied, rather enjoying her chocolate treat.  
'Well, at least one of us.' Shane grinned, enjoying the peace for a moment. 'Well, we missed the 7:30 break in the ion storm but we'll still catch the 10 pm one. Pass over that helmet there, Knight.'  
'Stay inside Kirsty, I'll be back soon.' Knight grinned, reaching out to grab the discarded helmet nearby and handing it to Schofield. 'I'm going to go see if I can find Falcon outside. She can't have gone far.'  
'She might be having some trouble with Nero.' Shane nodded, donning the helmet and getting to his feet. 'Marines, this is Scarecrow. Montana. Fox. Santa Cruz. Do you copy?'


	18. IS - Escaping The SEALs

Listening in about the situation now revealed to Scarecrow, Emily swore and ran back towards the glass dome, firing hard to shatter the glass. Without thinking her plan through properly, she leapt through the hole in the glass and plummeted down through the base. Streamlining as best she could and trying to stay relaxed, she hit the water hard and sunk fast.

Regaining her senses, she kicked hard back to the surface, so very glad that she'd picked the right path through for one hell of a rapid access.  
'Falcon! Where the hell have you been?' Scarecrow called the moment she broke the surface.  
'Nero knocked my radio out and I had to relocate Renard.' Emily replied, swimming for the side and climbing out. 'I don't know where she is, last I saw of her she was stealing a hovercraft to make another attempt to reach McMurdo.'  
'Shit! We don't have enough tanks. We're going down to the cavern, it's the only place left to hide from those incoming SEALs.' Schofield groaned, looking around for another option.  
'Don't worry about me, Scarecrow. Take Knight, Renshaw and Kirsty and get down to that cavern. Knight, I need my Maghook back.' Emily countered, reaching out to snag her Maghook before turning and sprinting down the south corridor.  
'You heard her, we stick to our plan. Falcon is smart; she's got her own solution.' Schofield nodded, shouldering into his scuba tank and making ready.

Dragging Buck Snr back out near the pool, Emily knelt and checked his pulse before turning her attention back to Scarecrow.  
'Come what may, don't forget about us Scarecrow. I spoke with Mother earlier, I know what to do but you need to hold up your end of the deal. Don't forget about us out there.' Emily instructed, eyes falling to the old scuba gear near the pool.  
'What about Rufus? Have you found him?' Knight asked, torn for what to do now. He couldn't just leave Rufus behind if there was a chance.  
'I know where he is, it's just a matter of getting him out. I can handle this, I'll bring them all to safety but you have to go now. I give you my word; we will all be waiting for you when this mission is finally over.' Emily promised, looking back up the shaft. 'Now go! We're running out of time. Any minute those SEALs are going to come charging in here.'  
'Come on Knight, I'm going to need you down in the cavern. Mother got out fine last time, she'll show Falcon the way with Alley Cat and Rogers there beside them.' Schofield nodded, shoving Knight towards the pool and the section of decking waiting to drag them down into the water.  
'What's going on?' Kirsty asked, completely confused now.  
'It's okay Kirsty, nothing to worry about. Falcon is just going to make sure everyone important gets to safety.' Aloysius replied, looking down at her with a fond smile.  
'Falcon, be aware. British nuke impact as 2300. Repeat!' Schofield barked, needing to get the message across before they split.  
'British nuke impact at 2300.' Emily repeated, eyes blowing wide at the implications. 'Holy fuck, we're really in it deep.'  
'You take care of him Falcon, I can't lose him now.' Knight demanded, fighting the urge to stay for Rufus. 'He's my world, you copy?'  
'Check that, Knight. I'll keep one hand on him at all times, he won't get lost.' Emily promised, looking up again. 'Go!'

Turning and running back into the south corridor, Emily glanced back over her shoulder just in time to see the catwalk section disappear beneath the water, dragging four people with it. She wouldn't have the benefit of weight but hopefully she could still clear the danger zone. Belting her knuckles against the inside of the dumb waiter, Emily smiled as it was slowly eased up into the shaft, opening the access to get Mother out.

Ignoring her own injuries and aches from the battles outside, Emily grabbed Mother's hands and dragged her out, easing her down to the cold floor. Tapping at the dumb waiter again, Emily dragged Mother out onto the deck, easing her out beside Buck gently.  
'How?' Mother slurred, barely able to hang onto consciousness.  
'We'll talk later Mother, I promise.' Emily replied, replacing her fluid bag and injecting Mother with a stimulant before running back into the south tunnel.

Guiding Rufus out of his hiding place, Emily supported him as best she could and hustled back to the deck, guiding him to sit between Mother and Buck. Looking up again, Emily swore when she heard the SEALs breach the station and spun, searching for a solution. Spotting the two British sea sleds, she grabbed them and dragged them over; setting one before Mother and the second she gave to Rufus. Sitting just near them, she found a roll of duct tape. A strange thing to find here but extremely useful.  
'Here, swallow these.' Emily barked, handing N-67D anti-nitrogen pills to Mother and Rufus before downing one herself and forcing the still unconscious Riley to swallow his. She'd come too close to lose him now.

Changing her plans on the fly, Emily grabbed the sea sled from in front of Mother and flipped Buck over, taping his hands to the sea sled. Shoving Mother one of the old scuba tanks and strapping into the second one, Emily wasn't exactly sure how this would work but it was better than no plan at all.  
'Mother, I know you're not feeling so great but I need you to hang onto Buck. He's helpless without someone to guide him through.' Emily instructed, dragging Buck closer to the pool. 'We're going to escape like you did last time around, follow the cable back to safety.'  
'But I thought Buck was supposed to be dead.' Mother remarked, shuffling over to the pool.  
'I'll explain it all later. We have to go now.' Emily snapped, looking up and spotting the SEALs up on A-Deck. 'Shit! We've been seen. Come on Rufus, time to go!'

Grabbing hold of Buck's shoulders, Mother drew him up into her lap and worked the regulator into his mouth before tipping them both into the water and adjusting their positions so she could hold him and the sled securely without risking either of them drowning. A few moments later, Emily splashed into the pool as well, clutching Rufus and the second sea sled. Heading down as fast as they could, Emily had to make doubly sure that Rufus couldn't get separated from the group. Right hand over his right hand, she kept him holding onto the sled and used her left hand to keep him close enough to use the secondary mouthpiece on her tank. In the last moments before they'd dropped into the water, Emily had done one more clever thing to make sure Rufus didn't get lost - she'd duct taped his injured left arm to the sled, running the tape around his forearm and one of the handgrips to properly anchor him into place.

Plunging down into the darkness, the group stayed as close as they possibly could, the small mounted lamps on the sea sleds helping them stay with the heavy steel cable leading them to safety. It was so eerie down here, following the inverted ice mountains down deeper and deeper. Tightening her left arm against Rufus' chest, Emily lifted her right hand off the sled and turned her wrist to check her depth gauge. So far they'd gone down two hundred feet and still had a long way to swim.

Surprised when she felt Buck move under her, Mother lightly squeezed his arm, calming him before he did anything stupid. Tilting his head to look up at Mother, Buck nodded slowly and winced, still not feeling very well but so very glad to be alive. Bringing their sled closer, Emily reached out to touch his arm as well, reassuring him that the team was still partly intact. Closing his eyes, Buck relaxed against Mother's chest, not feeling well enough to try and argue with the women. He was just glad to have survived.

~!~#~()~#~!~

Breaking the surface in the shelter of the iceberg the cable lead them towards, Emily looked up at the broken window then back at the team bobbing around her. Buck was looking decidedly green, Mother was struggling to stay conscious and Rufus was bleeding into the ocean, making them all big targets for the predators lurking around somewhere.

Drawing her own Maghook from her back mount holster and firing it up into the station, Emily drew her knife and slashed through the duct tape holding Buck and Rufus to the sea sleds, letting the British equipment sink beneath the waves. Thinking it through, Emily turned and handed the Maghook to Mother. She was the priority, her gaping wound would draw predators the fastest. Rufus' blood loss was mostly contained by his wetsuit and Buck wasn't bleeding anymore so he could hold as well.

Nodding quickly, Mother flew up out of the water and climbed through the window before tapping the release and throwing the main body of the Maghook back to the group. Launching out of the water, Emily grabbed it and handed it to Rufus, reaching out to support Buck as Rufus headed up and through the window. Catching the returning tool again, Buck held on tight and left the cold water, Rufus leaning out the window to grab him once he was in range.

Pushing out of the water with a strong kick, Emily grabbed the Maghook launcher and tapped the return button, zipping up to fall through the window. Removing the Maghook head from the floor, Emily sunk to the floor among her friends, finally able to rest.  
'I don't suppose you thought to grab more fluid bags and kickapoo joy juice.' Mother asked, slumped against the nearest wall.  
'Of course I did. I found a supply pack earlier in the mission and filled it with medical supplies from Wilkes before caching it.' Emily nodded, releasing the wet pack from low on her back.  
'Over here.' Rufus groaned, both hands pressed to the deep wound on his right side.  
'Yeah, I saw that coming.' Emily nodded, shooting Mother an apologetic look and turning to kneel beside Rufus.

Knowing that staying calm would help her friends, Emily slowed down and forced her mind to spin away from the threat still lurking out there. If the SEALs figured out what Schofield was doing so be it, there was nothing she could do to help. But she could help Rufus, Mother and Buck to survive. She was now their guardian, she had to keep them safe until rescue arrived.

Helping Rufus out of his flak vest and flight suit, Emily gently helped him peel off his wetsuit and eased him down onto his uninjured side. Peeling away the blood soaked dressings and tossing them aside, Emily delved into the pack she'd dragged along. It wasn't very big but she knew how to pack a bag to get everything into it that she'd need. Lifting out several fluid bags and a quite a few methadone shots, she pulled out two firmly tied plastic bags and ripped one open to withdraw several sheets and towels stolen from the station.

Injecting Rufus with another shot of methadone, Emily opened the medical kit she'd also shoved in the supply pack and pulled on the latex gloves inside before starting in on the repairs to Rufus' serious injury. He'd pulled most of his sutures, ripping open his side but she couldn't find the heart to be mad with him, he'd done the best he could while trying so hard to survive.  
'You're doing just fine Rufus, hang tight. I promised I'd get you back to Aloysius and by God, I will make sure you get home.' Emily uttered, suturing him up again. 'After all the effort we've all gone to just to survive, you can't give up now.'  
'He's okay?' Rufus asked, lifting his head a little.  
'Last I saw him, he was just fine. Now stay still so I can patch you up again.' Emily nodded, brushing his bare shoulder with her wrist. 'It won't be too long before you're back at his side.'  
'Anything we can do to help?' Buck asked, shaking like a leaf due to shock but at least he was mobile with all his parts.  
'Everyone activate their GPS markers, we have to make people notice us out here. Mother, I need you to keep an eye on the time. Tell me when it's 2245 exactly. We've got one last storm to ride out. Buck, you're the most mobile of the wounded, find as many blankets and things as you can, we're going to need all of them.' Emily ordered, honestly surprised she was getting away with doing that considering she was the junior-most person in the room. 'Time now.'  
'2231.' Mother replied, checking her watch quickly. 'What's so important about 2245?'  
'It's not 2245 I'm worried about. At 2300 a nuke is going to hit Wilkes. Got the Intel from Scarecrow. The blankets won't protect against the all radiation but they'll offer some protection from the light and some of the radiation.' Emily explained, hoping she remembered her high school science properly.  
'They're gonna nuke us? I figured the ICG were assholes but that's overkill.' Buck replied, butt-shuffling across the floor to retrieve some blankets he'd seen.  
'It's not ICG, it's Barnaby's fucking eraser.' Emily replied, still mostly focused on Rufus. 'Schofield's words - British nuke impact at 2300.'

~!~#~()~#~!~

'Time, Falcon.' Mother called, feeling much better after a methadone hit and a change of dressings.  
'Okay people, now comes the fun part.' Emily nodded, finishing up with Rufus and getting to her feet. 'Time to get friendly.'  
'That sounds fun.' Rufus grinned, startling everyone with such a random comment.  
'Okay, I think someone might have had enough of the good drugs for a while.' Emily muttered, resisting the urge to laugh as she helped Rufus shuffle over to stretch out beside Mother.  
'You don't suppose…' Mother started, reaching out to help bring Rufus in closer.  
'I had considered that option Mother but there's no other choice.' Emily sighed, feeling yet another tension headache building. 'We'll just have to do the best we can.'

With her friends settled as close together as they could get, Emily grabbed the five remaining blankets and spread them over the trio, layering them up to hopefully create a warm, safe pocket to give at least minimal protection from the nuke and the elements. With their shelter all finished, Emily sunk down and scooted in under the blankets as well, practically hugging Rufus just to fit.  
'everyone just stay still, we've got five minutes until the nuke hits and then we'll give it a few minutes before the blankets come off.' she uttered, hoping that this setup would work. It was hard enough to deal with Mother's leg, Rufus' abdominal wound and Buck's concussion but adding in the challenge of a nuclear explosion only made a bad situation a fucking nightmare.

Despite the danger they faced, huddled together under the blankets, they couldn't help what came next. Rufus started giggling, at what exactly no one knew but he was lost in a good old fit of giggles. Emily suspected her first gut feeling about him was right, he was having a reaction to the methadone - he was feeling no pain and high as a kite. He was quite happy to be there, Mother on his left and Emily on his right, giggling at some random thought in his mind.

His giggle fit had one really special benefit though. It was so hard for the others to fear what was coming when Rufus was having such a wonderful time. Even though they didn't get what was so funny, the laughter spread. Mother went first, her smile growing until she just cracked up, feeling less fear and minimal pain as she lay back and laughed freely. Grinning at the behaviour of his friends, Buck couldn't help but chuckle, picking up on their good mood despite it all. He still hurt, his head was pounding in beat with his heart but it felt good to act the fool for once.

Smiling softly at the sight of the trio laughing, Emily couldn't help but get comfortable and join them in such a random moment. Resting her head on Rufus' shoulder contentedly, it was a perfect moment among friends. A little odd but perfect.

2300 came and went, the friends still enjoying what should have been an absolutely terrifying moment. Outside their little hideaway, anything could be going on but here, tucked in close together and acting like idiots, they just didn't care.

Eventually calming, Mother lifted her arm and checked her watch, her smile growing as she realised they'd been so busy enjoying their time together that they hadn't noticed it was well past detonation time.  
'We survived the blast. Its 2315.' she grinned, reaching up to flick the blankets off her head.  
'Nicely done Rufus.' Emily praised, rolling away and getting to her feet. Making her way across their bolthole, Emily stuck her head out the window and looked around, scanning for any sign of Scarecrow and the main body of the team or the mushroom cloud.  
'You see anything out there Hunter?' Riley asked, easing onto his back and throwing one arm over his eyes. 'Fuck, my head is pounding.'  
'Nope, the skies are clear. We must have missed it completely.' Emily shrugged, turning away from the window. 'Just settle back and rest Buck, it's a waiting game now.'  
'Are you sure Buck should be sleeping?' Mother asked, drawing one of the blankets tighter around her shoulders.  
'I don't think short naps will hurt, but just to be on the safe side I'll wake you every couple of hours Buck.' Emily nodded, looking back out the window. 'Don't let us down Scarecrow, it's your move.'  
'Talking of naps, think you can silence our stoner?' Buck asked, trying to get comfortable amongst the debris of the past.  
'No promises but I'll try.' Emily shrugged, leaving her spot by the window. 'Alright Rufus, time for all good pilots to get some rest.'

Rearranging the blankets and creating three hopefully comfortable nests, Emily helped her friends get settled, tucking them in and making them as comfortable as she could with the limited supplies she had available. It could hardly be called comfortable or safe but it was the best that could be done and hopefully it would be enough. Mother she placed on a pile of covered paperwork, wrapped up in two blankets to help with the shock. Buck only took one blanket, finding the darkest corner to curl up in and hide. Rufus took a little more effort but eventually Emily got him snugged up in two blankets, warm, safe and blessedly, silent. Pretty much as soon as she'd tucked him in and told him it was time to rest, he'd gone quiet and nodded, this goofy look on his face.


	19. IS - USS Wasp

Standing on the deck of the USS Wasp, Aloysius quickly switched from his battle scarred snow goggles to an equally scratched pair of amber-tinted anti-flash sunglasses and looked out to sea, trying to guess where Rufus might be now. He knew his best friend was still out there, somewhere in the maze of icebergs out beyond Antarctica. It was just a gut feeling for now, the radiation from the nuclear explosion was causing havoc for the alert bands they always wore.  
'I will find you, buddy. Whatever happens, I will find you again.' Aloysius promised, opening his vest and reaching inside to retrieve a white velvet bag. 'Don't ever give up hope buddy, I will find you every time.'

Making his way across the deck to where Aloysius was standing, Jean-Claude wasn't exactly sure his presence would be appreciated but deep in his heart, Jean-Claude knew that none of them should be alone right now.  
'Are you all right Aloysius?' Jean-Claude called, trying not to startle the smaller man.  
'I'm fine, just thinking.' Aloysius replied, clutching the bag firmly in one hand. 'Any word from Renard yet? Or anyone else we misplaced along the way?'  
'The radiation is still causing trouble with the radios. We have not heard anything from anyone and there have been no more GPS markers picked up.' Jean-Claude shrugged, looking out to sea.  
'Not the news I was hoping for. Somewhere out there, now, we're leaving behind three Marines and my best friend. Mother survived this mission the last time around, she must have shown the others the way but there's no way to know where she took them.' Aloysius explained, looking around again. 'I can only guess she went back to Little America IV, we left a cable on E-Deck after we found our way back to the station.'  
'Where is this Little America IV?' Jean-Claude asked, dropping his gaze back to Aloysius.  
'I don't know. It's somewhere out beyond the Ross Ice Shelf but that's all I know. This ship isn't an ice breaker, it's not safe to go search for that iceberg.' Aloysius sighed, turning away from the icy view. 'They'll turn up; it's just a matter of time. Mother was rescued last time. We just have to believe they'll all be found.'

As they wandered back towards the island, Aloysius opened the old white bag and tipped the contents into his hand. Glancing over Aloysius' shoulder, Jean-Claude was stunned by the beautiful item in Aloysius' hand. It was a golden cross with ornate Celtic knots at the four ends and a raised four-leaf clover in the middle. Tucking the bag inside his vest, Aloysius fastened the heavy chain around his neck, fingers brushing over the cross lightly.  
'Don't even ask.' Aloysius warned, turning and wandering away on his own.  
'I had no intention.' Jean-Claude uttered, heading in the other direction.

~!~#~()~#~!~

Finally giving up his stubborn need to be a lone wolf, Aloysius ended up in the infirmary. Schofield was there as well, staring at the far wall as one of the corpsmen worked on his ribs. Dropping his gear onto one of the empty berths, Aloysius allowed one of the nurses to help him out of his webbing and fatigues. To save time, Aloysius handed over one of his knives to slice through the duct tape, this outfit was trashed anyway.

Getting out of his wetsuit turned out to be a bit harder, so before he did anymore damage, Knight suggested they just cut the wetsuit off, it was a lost cause.  
'And I thought I'd taken a beating.' Shane remarked, looking Knight over quickly.  
'This is pretty standard for me, Scarecrow.' Aloysius replied, looking down at his chest, evaluating the bruises he'd earned.

His whole chest was one big bruise, particularly dark and painful over his left side where he knew he'd broken at least four ribs. There was another really dark spot low on his right side, below his ribs - a gift from Nero after Knight had gone out to help Emily deal with the big British brute. The bullet wound in his left bicep had torn open, spilling more blood down his arm.

Working out of the bottom half of his wetsuit, Knight blanched at the sight of the triple wound in his right thigh. The original bolt wound had ripped open again, despite the extra sutures Emily put through it. The two repair incisions were gaping too, every suture torn away and dangling from the neat edges of Emily's work.  
'You really know how to make a mess.' Shane smirked, dropping his gaze to Knight's blood slicked thigh. 'Falcon is going to wring your neck for that one.'  
'I doubt that Scarecrow. She knows what you're like, she'll blame my torn stitches on your inability to sit still for more than three minutes.' Aloysius replied, checking out the wound on his arm. 'But even by my standards, this went a little further than normal.'  
'We'll find them. One way or another, we'll find them again.' Shane promised, going back to staring at the wall. 'I won't abandon any of them.'  
'I know. It's not in your nature to abandon people, Scarecrow. Accidents happen but it's not your style.' Aloysius replied, hobbling over to sit on another berth. 'That said, if we don't get news in four hours, I will find a way to go back there and personally search for them. I will not leave Rufus behind, I can't.'  
'Trust in them, they'll find a way to draw attention. Most likely it'll be Falcon, she's the healthiest of the group she took to safety. If anyone is going to have a plan for rescue, it's her.' Shane shrugged, easing to his feet. 'When you're done here, Kirsty was looking for you. Last I saw, she was heading for the Captain's stateroom with Renshaw to get some rest.'  
'Let her rest, I'll see her later. Right now, I plan on getting patched up, taking a hot shower and getting into some clean clothes.' Aloysius countered, settling back comfortably and trying to relax.  
'I'll make sure there's fresh coffee in the commissary when you're ready.' Shane grinned, heading for the door. 'And don't worry, if I hear anything from our missing friends, I'll let you know.'  
'Thanks Scarecrow.' Aloysius smiled, so very glad to be leaving Antarctica behind.

~!~#~()~#~!~

Buoyed by the great news he'd just heard, Shane wandered back towards Captain Walsh's stateroom to pass on what he'd learnt. Opening the door, he stepped inside and smiled as he took in the image on the couch. There was Kirsty, huddled under a blanket as she slept peacefully, her head pillowed on Knight's uninjured thigh. Left hand resting lightly on her shoulder, Aloysius was at peace, legs stretched out and head tipped back as he snored quietly. For a moment Schofield wished he could join them but he still had work to do.

Making his way across the room, Shane reached out to carefully nudge Aloysius awake, hoping he was out of range if the taller man woke up swinging. Grumbling in his sleep, Aloysius swatted at the nudging hand and shifted, reluctant to rouse.  
'Come on Knight, wake up. This is important.' Shane tried, flicking Aloysius' ear quickly.  
'Fuck off Scarecrow.' Knight grumbled, shifting his position again.  
'You're going to want to hear this, Knight.' Shane coaxed, nudging Aloysius again.  
'Alright, alright. I'm awake. Now what's so damned important?' Aloysius groaned, adjusting the blanket over Kirsty's shoulders.  
'We just received word about the rest of the team. Book II got through to McMurdo and Rebound survived. They'll be transferred to Pearl Harbour in a couple of days. Renard checked in as well, she found her way to Romeo's position and sheltered with them. We'll catch up with her at Pearl as well.' Shane grinned, leaning comfortably against the wall beside Knight.  
'Hardly news worth waking me up for Scarecrow.' Aloysius growled, looking down at Kirsty again.  
'I'm not finished yet.' Shane corrected, watching the way Aloysius kept tending to Kirsty. 'We picked up four GPS signals. We've found them; Falcon, Mother, Rogers and Alley Cat. Captain Walsh radioed McMurdo, they're sending a patrol boat to pick them up as we speak.'  
'Thank you God.' Aloysius uttered, lifting his gaze as he brushed the cross around his neck. 'When will we know for sure?'  
'24-36 hours, depending on the weather and oceanic situation. We'll be informed when the patrol boat reaches Little America IV.' Shane shrugged, just as desperate for news but hiding it well.  
'Thanks Scarecrow. I've been worried sick that he wouldn't be found.' Aloysius nodded, smiling softly as he relaxed. 'One less thing to worry about.'  
'By the time we reach Pearl Harbour, everything will be sorted out again.' Shane grinned, pushing off the wall. 'If anyone comes looking for me, I'll be with Fox.'  
'Where's Baba disappeared to?' Knight asked, trying to think where he'd last seen the big Frenchman. 'After all the work we went through, I'd hate to lose one now.'  
'Last I heard he was in the commissary but I'll check.' Shane shrugged, heading for the door. 'I'll handle it, you just focus on Kirsty and Renshaw.'  
'Check that.' Knight smirked, settling back and closing his eyes.


	20. IS - Rescue

Not sure what woke her; Mother sat up and looked around their hiding place. Buck was dozing peacefully nearby, snuggled up under one blanket. Rufus was on the other side of the room, all wrapped up in two blankets and thankfully quiet again. But Emily was nowhere to be seen. Listening intently, Mother tried to locate Emily by sound but all she could clearly hear was the whistling of the wind outside their hiding place.  
'Falcon, where are you?' Mother called, a sense of dread landing on her shoulders when no answer came back to her. 'Falcon!'

Looking around again, Mother jumped when she saw something out the corner of her eye. Turning again, Mother relaxed as she recognised what was there. There was Emily, swinging on a Maghook rope to get back into the station.  
'I didn't think you'd be awake for a while yet Mother.' Emily shrugged, retracting her Maghook cable as she sank down to sit on the floor.  
'Just woke up. How's it looking out there?' Mother sighed, settling back again.  
'No change, it's still pretty dismal outside.' Emily replied, shuffling across the floor. 'I still can't believe I didn't notice that injury before.'

They could only assume it had happened when Emily had jumped from the glass dome into the pool at the bottom of the now destroyed Wilkes station. Emily hadn't noticed it until several hours after they had arrived at Little America IV. Feeling intense pain in her right ankle, Emily had gotten Mother to help her with her boot and sock, revealing a very swollen joint and quite a bit of bruising. A few basic checks and they decided that it wasn't broken, just severely sprained. To protect the injury, Emily had pulled her sock on and handed over the last of their duct tape. Mother had done a pretty good job of immobilising her injured ankle, finding a scrap of metal on the floor to use as a brace. Normally a severe sprain like hers would render the person immobile but Emily soldiered on, knowing that she was the only one left to keep her friends alive and safe. So she dosed up on methadone and kept going, refusing to admit it was hurting so much.

Resting beside Mother until her ankle stopped throbbing so much, Emily eased to her feet and picked up the discarded helmet she'd used earlier and hobbled back into the second room, weaving through the debris to reach another broken window. This one led nowhere except deeper into the ice and that's exactly what Emily wanted. Pressing the helmet against the revealed ice with her left hand, Emily drew her K-Bar and went at the ice wall, sharpened knife digging into the wall to pry off chunks of ice.

With the helmet full again, Emily made her way back out to the main room and sat down beside Mother. Spinning the knife in her hand, Emily broke down the larger ice chunks into smaller chips before passing the helmet to Mother and turning to Buck.  
'Come on Rogers, wake up. You've had three hours, up you sit.' she coaxed, giving him a sharp shove. 'Up you get, can't sleep all day.'  
'Shut up Emily.' Buck groaned, swatting at her hand.  
'Come on Buck, you've got to wake up.' Emily coaxed, shoving him again. 'Think about your son, he's waiting for you to explain all this.'  
'I just want to sleep right now Emily.' Buck sighed, sitting up slowly and resting his head in one hand. 'My head is still pounding.'  
'Getting shot in the head will do that, Buck. Here, get some water into you and try to relax. I'll figure out an icepack in a minute.' Emily grinned, putting the helmet down between them and crawling over to Rufus' side.

Although she wouldn't admit it out loud, Emily was truly worried for the big pilot. Despite her best efforts to keep him conscious and aware, he'd slipped into unconsciousness several hours ago, his abdominal wound still bleeding but at least it was only a slow leak now. Having looked at the first bloodstained dressings she'd removed from Rufus's side, Emily came up with a crazy idea to draw attention to their iceberg. That's why she'd been outside this time.

She took that bloodstained cloth and went up the peak over their station. Reaching the peak, she pulled the bloodied cloth from inside her shirt and stuck it to the ice, the blood instantly freezing to secure the cloth to the ice. The half bed sheet was absolutely soaked so the full thing stuck fast and left no space for the wind to rip the cloth from the ice and take away their beacon.

Checking his pulse and packing the last of the stuff she'd brought along against the wound in his side, Emily eased to her feet and looked around for anything to use for an icepack but they didn't have anything of much use. Looking around again, Emily noticed Mother was doing something strange. She was sitting up stuffing ice chips into a condom.  
'What are you doing Mother?' Emily asked, gently wiping an ice chip over Rufus' lips.  
'You wanted an icepack, I'm making one.' Mother shrugged, stuffing a few more chips in before tying the top. 'It's not perfect but it's the best we've got.'  
'This has got to be the strangest thing you've ever handed me, Mother.' Buck remarked, accepting the condom and resting it against his forehead. 'If it helps though, I don't care what it looks like.'  
'Dare I ask why you're carrying a condom, Mother?' Emily asked, wondering how long it would be before rescue found them.  
'Just in case I had to go swimming with a weapon. It's an old trick, put a condom over the barrel to protect it.' Mother replied, shaking her head slowly. 'I thought you'd remember that one.'  
'Mother, I haven't eaten in 24 hours, haven't slept for just as long and I'm not going to be doing either until we get off this damned iceberg and someone with more training takes over Rufus' care.' Emily shrugged, rubbing tired eyes. 'He's not doing so well.'  
'Will he survive much longer?' Buck asked, looking over towards the unconscious pilot.  
'I don't know. I've slowed the blood loss but his internal injuries are severe. All the jostling around has done a real number on him. The sooner we get help, the better but I'll do the best I can.' Emily sighed, peeling away the bloodied dressings slowly. 'Best guess, he can probably hold on another 48 hours before blood loss becomes too severe. The cold is beneficial, slowing blood loss to improve his chances but he won't last long without proper medical help.'

~!~#~()~#~!~

Snapping awake with a hiss, Emily sat up and looked around quickly. Everything was okay, Mother and Buck were sleeping in their places and Rufus was still breathing beside her, his soft snoring a great comfort and proof she was doing something right. Checking her watch quickly, Emily shuffled over to the window and hauled her body up, peering out to look for any signs of salvation. Squinting against the reflected light, she scanned the area slowly, hoping for anything that wasn't another iceberg but her hopes were dashed. There was nothing out there.

Climbing up onto the window sill and looking up, she could see the stained bed sheet overhead, still red against the ice, a strong beacon if anyone was out there searching.  
'Come on Scarecrow, you have to have found the signals by now. Where's the rescue?' she uttered, sliding back inside and returning to Rufus' side. Dropping her webbing and tearing off her fatigues shirt, she shuffled over to retrieve the helmet she'd filled earlier. Some of the ice had melted, not much but just enough for her purposes.

Scooting back over to Rufus with her now damp shirt, Emily lightly wiped his face, cleaning him up and checking his colour. He was so pale, Emily feared she'd fail in her mission to reunite him with Aloysius. Then she remembered another trick from her training and slapped her forehead in disbelief that she'd forgotten.

Ignoring the pain from her ankle, Emily stood and returned to her ice hole, belting out bigger chunks and piling them in her fatigues shirt. Carrying the bundle back to Rufus, she sat beside him and pulled away most of the bloody bedding to pile the ice against his side, just one layer of cloth between his bare skin and the ice.

It took three trips and by the time she was done, her head was swimming from the pain but she was satisfied with her effort. The ice should help ease the blood flow, something about lowering his core temperature to ease the blood loss. By piling up the ice against his injured side, Emily hoped to keep him alive until rescue arrived but she had no way to be sure. Covering the ice with the rest of the bloody cloths, she could only pray it was enough to keep him alive.

Hanging her head, fighting back the exhaustion threatening to drown her, Emily wasn't sure what to do anymore. She was so tired, every breath seemed to weigh her down more but she couldn't give up. She had three wounded friends, they needed her to take care of them until rescue came. She would sleep then, once they were all safe.  
'Emily?' Buck groaned, stirring from his slumber.  
'Shh, it's okay Buck. I'm right here.' Emily replied, butt-shuffling over to sit beside him. 'How's the head now?'  
'Still pounding. Think I'm going to be sick.' Buck uttered, sitting up slowly.  
'Can you make it to the window?' Emily asked, trying to figure out the right thing to do.  
'Not without help.' Buck replied, clutching his stomach.  
'Up you get, I've got you.' Emily coaxed, helping him up and helping him over to the window.

Helping him lean out the window and supporting him gently, Emily kept her grip on his belt firm as he heaved, bringing up mostly water and a little bit of blood but there was nothing solid left in his stomach. Trying to give him some semblance of privacy, Emily looked out to sea again, searching desperately for anything new.  
'Feel any better now?' she asked when Buck had finally finished throwing up.  
'A little.' Buck replied, straightening and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. 'Still got a hell of a headache.'  
'Come and sit down, let me check you over properly.' Emily coaxed, not sure who was supporting who as they crossed the room again and settled back in Buck's corner.

Leaning back against the cold wall, Buck closed his eyes and tried to relax as Emily sat on his thighs comfortably. It didn't feel weird between them, they'd known each other for a while, they were used to working close together but this was closer than normal for them. Resting her hands lightly on his head, Emily traced her thumbs closer to the raw streak on his forehead.  
'I'm trying to be gentle but tell me if this hurts too much.' she uttered, easing closer to the injury.  
'It's okay Emily, I can handle this.' Buck replied, resting his hands on her hips lightly.

Lightly brushing her right thumb over the wound, Emily felt something move under his torn skin and frowned, not liking what she was feeling. It felt like a bone fragment, not a very big one but a fragment none the less. Her first instinct was to very carefully cut the skin and pop it out but she clamped down on that desire and left well enough alone. It wasn't a big problem and one definitely more suited to the sterile environment of a hospital.  
'I can feel at least one skull fragment there. I won't remove it now, just in case that causes complications. Just take it easy, stay still and try to stay awake. I know you're tired but you can't sleep yet.' Emily sighed, climbing off and reaching for the ice helmet. 'Try to keep your fluids up as well, we're already in a bad position without adding dehydration to the issue.'  
'Any change in Rufus?' Buck asked, turning his gaze to where Mother was sleeping.  
'Nothing good. I'm scared Buck, I don't think I can save him.' Emily replied, returning to Rufus' side and checking his pulse again.

Moving around to sit by his head, she reached out and gently slipped both hands under his head before shuffling over and letting him use her thigh for a pillow. It wasn't much but it was the best comfort she could offer as he slowly bled out, her best efforts still only able to slow his impending death. She was fast losing faith that he'd survive to see Aloysius again.  
'Never thought I'd miss his crazed ramblings about fluffy pink elephants.' Buck sighed, swinging his gaze back to staring out the window.  
'I'd be happy if he made any sound other than snoring.' Emily replied, running her fingers through Rufus' hair softly. 'Anything to tell us he's still with us.'

Buck's comment about the elephants wasn't completely random. Before Rufus lost consciousness, he was laughing and going on about fluffy pink elephants tickling him. No one knew what he was going on about and dismissed it as stoned ramblings in reaction to the heavy dose of methadone in his system. Emily had made a mental note to ask Aloysius about it one day but now that she was so fearful about losing the fight to save Rufus, she was worried that asking would only upset Aloysius if the worst should happen.

~!~#~()~#~!~

Shivering with cold, even huddled together under every blanket they could find, hope had faded for the quartet stuck in the forgotten station. No one spoke, there was nothing left to say that wouldn't depress the group further. They just sat there, huddled around Rufus as they waited for the end. Not even sure if it was worth it anymore, Emily ran their last ice chip over Rufus' lips before handing it to Mother. Buck had passed out again, slumped against Emily's left side, a fresh line of blood drying down his face after he'd accidentally knocked his bullet graze. Accepting the ice, Mother sighed and looked up at the ceiling, shuffling closer to Rufus' still form. Fighting back helpless tears of frustration and pain, Emily hung her head and lightly ran her fingers through Rufus' hair, a piece of her mind hoping he was at least subconsciously aware that someone was still with him.

Suddenly their prison darkened and Emily looked up, too tired to move but she had to know. There at the window, people in sealed airtight suits were climbing in to help them. They were safe. Looking up at their saviours, Emily smiled through her tears, relieved that their punishment was over at last.  
'Thank you Scarecrow, thank you.' she uttered, not even bothering to wipe her tears away.  
'It's alright now Ma'am, you're safe.' one of the rescue personnel soothed, crouching in front of the group. 'You seem to know what's going on here. Who are we taking first?'  
'Lieutenant McKenzie, he's in bad shape. He's lost a lot of blood, a traitor in the ranks stabbed him in the abdomen. We were forced to do meatball surgery to save him but his stitches tore during our escape. His right kidney was lost in the attack.' Emily replied, hoping Rufus could hold on just a little bit longer. 'Mind his left hand as well, he broke just about every bone in there.'

Sagging back against the wall as two of their rescuers lifted Rufus onto a stretcher and carried him back to the window, Emily finally let go and sobbed, choking on her pain and relief as she sat there. Never again would she doubt Scarecrow, he'd come through for them in the end.  
'Come on, let's get you out of here.' another rescuer offered, extending his hand to her.  
'I can wait. Sergeant Newman needs attention. She was attacked by a killer whale, lost everything from the left knee down. Staff Sergeant Riley was shot in the head, I felt a bone fragment beneath the wound earlier but I left it.' Emily replied, looking at her friends as she spoke.  
'They'll be tended to but you are a priority as well.'  
'Compared to them, I'm fine. It's just a bad sprain, I'm more worried about my friends.' Emily shrugged, finding a forgotten ice chip on the floor and picking it up. It was clean enough as far as she cared so she popped it into her mouth, beyond caring anymore.

Only once Mother and Buck were carried to the window and handed off to the people on the other side did Emily allow one of their rescuers to get her up and help her to the window. Pausing in the window, Emily dug one last parting gift from her thigh pocket - one British Tritonal charge. Thinking for a moment, she set the timer for ten minutes and tossed it back into the station.  
'Kiss my arse Antarctica.' she growled, transferring to the patrol boat and following her friends.

Finding a smile as she rejoined the group, Emily felt her spirits lift at the voices coming from the radio. After everything they'd endured, it was truly a wonderful thing to hear their friends again. Moving closer, Emily listened to the conversation and closed her eyes, so very grateful to Scarecrow for finally coming through.  
"It's good to hear your voice again Mother, but what about the others?" Schofield asked, relief flooding the airwaves.  
'We're okay Scarecrow. I did my part, we survived.' Emily replied, accepting the radio. 'It was touch and go but we came through.'  
"Good job Falcon. I knew I was right to trust you." Schofield praised, bringing smiles to the faces of the exhausted friends. "We'll see you at Pearl in a few days."  
'Looking forward to it Scarecrow.' Emily nodded, hanging her head for a moment. 'Before we go, I need to talk to Knight, it's about Alley Cat.'  
"He's right here Falcon." Schofield replied, the radio going quiet for a moment.  
'Go on you two, it's time you were attended to properly. I'll be right behind you.' Emily coaxed, moving aside so her friends could pass.  
"What's going on Falcon?" Aloysius asked, his voice tight and strained. "Where's Alley Cat?"  
'He's not doing so great, I gave him my all but he's in a bad state. His abdominal wound tore open, he's been bleeding out since the SAS attack. His wetsuit was able to control the bleeding but when I removed it to get another look at his wound, I couldn't stop the blood loss. Another few hours and he probably would have died.' Emily briefed, slumping back against the wall.  
"But he's okay now?" Aloysius pushed, desperate for positive news.  
'He's in good hands now, he'll get the best treatment available. I'll stay with him, he won't be alone.' Emily promised, hoping that brought Knight some comfort. 'There's something I need to ask you, something he said while off his head on methadone.'  
"I completely forgot to mention he has a reaction to methadone, sorry Falcon." Knight replied, subdued and quiet as he tried to accept what he'd been told.  
'Its okay, his reaction made facing imminent death easier. It's hard to be frightened when you're huddled under a blanket with a guy that can't stop laughing.' Emily grinned, some of the tension lifting. 'But he said something about fluffy pink elephants. What's that all about?'  
"That's his favourite methadone hallucination. There's only one way to stop them as far as I know and I've seen it a few times. You have to hunt them down and pretend to shoot them. Ask him where each one is, he'll tell you where, pause then say bang, it's dead. He'll calm eventually and sleep." Aloysius explained, his mood lifting as he spoke.  
'I'm not even going to ask. Thanks for the explanation, would have been good to know that one when he was laughing his head off. We missed his random giggles and stoned comments when he lapsed into unconsciousness.' Emily sighed, wishing she had better news for Aloysius. 'I should go, I need medical attention too.'  
"Before you go, Falcon. There's something else you should know. When Alley Cat is feeling miserable, he likes it when a trusted friend scratches through his hair. He says it's comforting and familiar, particularly behind the ears and at the nape of his neck." Aloysius guided, giving Emily a peek into their life. "His mom did it when he was sick, or so he told me a while back."  
'I'll keep that in mind Aloysius. Anything else I should know?' Emily nodded, resisting the desire to just collapse and sleep.  
"Somewhere in his gear you'll find a white velvet bag. Inside there's a necklace, a winged knife on a leather thong. However you manage it, make sure he wears it. It's a lucky charm of his." Aloysius continued, not telling the full truth but Emily got the idea.  
'I'll make sure he gets it on as soon as he's stable.' Emily promised, fairly sure she knew where the bag was. 'I'll see you all in Pearl in a few days.'  
"See you Emily." Aloysius replied, still fragile in the face of such news but he would heal.


	21. IS - Reunited

As soon as they received word that the last members of the team had been settled in the private ward, the first group back to Pearl Harbour didn't hesitate to head back to the ward. They'd been taking it in shifts to sit watch over those already settled in but once the third group were close, they'd been chased out to give the staff space to work.

First to reach the doors, Schofield paused and waited for the rest of the group to catch up before opening the door and holding it for the rest of the team to enter. The sight inside was truly special for everyone who entered behind Schofield.

Fox and Renard were closest to the door, sleeping peacefully with no idea of the reunion around them. Rebound was laid out next to Fox, curious eyes drifting around the rest of the new arrivals. Emily had been placed opposite Rebound, dark bags under her eyes a reminder of how much effort she'd put into the mission. Beside her, Mother looked almost back to her usual self, if not for the blatantly obvious fact there was only one foot outlined under the covers. Opposite Mother and beside Rebound, the man mountain fondly known as Rufus was out like a light, his shattered left hand resting lightly on a pillow beside him as he snored peacefully. But the occupant of the last bed, on Emily's other side was hidden by a half drawn curtain, exactly as Scarecrow had asked.

Smiling softly, Shane nudged Buck Jr and led him along the ward, amazed by how right it felt to be doing something that couldn't be possible. Pausing just shy of revealing who was in the last bed, Shane turned and looked up at Buck Jr, trying to think of the right thing to say.  
'Book, this is going to be really strange for you but try not to freak out. Everything will make sense in time, be patient and everything will be explained.' Shane shrugged, moving out of the way. 'I never stopped hoping this might be possible.'

Jaw dropping as he brushed the curtain aside, Book II couldn't believe what he was seeing. There in front of him, tucked up safely with his forehead bandaged, was his father. Crossing to the bed, he couldn't stop his hands shaking as he reached out to touch one strong hand lightly, struggling to wrap his mind around the fact his dad had survived.  
'Dad? Can you hear me dad?' he uttered, wrapping his fingers over his father's right hand. 'Dad? It's me, Bucky.'  
'Hmm…hey Bucky.' Buck Snr murmured, one eye cracking open. 'Guess I was wrong 'bout that one.'  
'What happened? How'd you escape?' Bucky asked, grabbing a chair and settling beside his father.  
'Save the questions for later. Just be for now.' Snr replied, eyes closing again. 'I'll explain later.'  
'Okay dad, I can wait. I'm just glad you're still here.' Bucky grinned, wondering how much different his life would be with his father still around. 'I love you dad.'  
'Love you too Bucky.' Buck smiled, drifting back to sleep under the watch of his son.

Trying so hard not to show how relieved he really was, Aloysius hobbled over to sit beside Rufus, reaching out to lightly scratch behind one ear. He just about flew out of his skin when Rufus rumbled contentedly and leant into the contact a little more. Shuffling closer, Aloysius dared to peek under the sheets, needing to reassure his mind that Rufus would be okay.  
'He got real lucky, Aloysius. Someone was watching over him, the medical team don't know how he survived such a serious injury.' Emily called, coming up onto her elbows. 'He was saved by a joint effort, everyone onboard that could help gave generously.'  
'I can't thank you enough Emily, for all you did to save him.' Aloysius replied, smoothing out the bedding again. 'I don't think you realise how much it means.'  
'I do Aloysius, Rufus mentioned more than just fluffy pink elephants while he was flying high. He openly admitted he loved you. After he said that, it was even more vital that I keep him going.' Emily shrugged, settling back again. 'When I said everyone that could help did, I wasn't just talking about the crew. I'm a universal donor.'  
'Yet another reason I should be very grateful to you, Emily.' Aloysius nodded, amazed that Emily would do something so personal just to save Rufus.  
'It's not necessary Aloysius. I'm a hopeless romantic, I couldn't tear apart two that so obviously belong together.' Emily admitted, settling back down. 'One day you might just be holding my life in your hands Aloysius, I'd like to think you'd try just as hard to save me as I did for Rufus.'  
'Count on it Emily.' Aloysius promised, finding a comfortable position and settling in for a long wait. 'I'm here buddy, I'm right here.'

Glancing over at Renard, Baba nodded faintly and turned instead for Mother, settling in the chair beside her bed and reaching out to lightly touch her arm. Grumbling something incoherently, Mother stirred and opened her eyes, looking around before her unsteady gaze landed on Baba.  
'It's good to see you again Mother.' Baba grinned, squeezing her hand lightly. 'I was worried I would not see you again for some time.'  
'I'm harder to kill than that.' Mother offered, returning the gentle pressure. 'Give me a few months and I'll be back to my best.'  
'I do not doubt that, Mother.' Baba chuckled, remembering his promise. 'Did you want someone to call your husband?'  
'He's probably already been told I was wounded. The Corps is good like that. They'll have found Ralph by now and given him the news.' Mother shrugged, smiling softly at a memory. 'He knew this day would come, we both did.'  
'Will the Corps fly him out here to see you?' Baba asked, wondering if there would be tension once Ralph arrived.  
'Maybe but it's hard to know for sure. Sometimes they will but with his work and this injury, they might not. We'll just have to wait and see.' Mother sighed, looking away for a moment. 'I can only hope I'll have time to deal with this before I have to see Ralph. I don't know how he'll handle it.'  
'If he truly loves you, this won't be a big deal. You survived, nothing else really matters. I remember your Ralph, he is a good man.' Baba offered, not sure what else to say.  
'He certainly is.' Mother agreed, looking Baba over quickly. 'You were hurt as well?'  
'This, it's nothing.' Baba shrugged, looking at the bandage around his right arm. 'The second traitor, Montana, tried to get me out of the way. It did not work. The bullet went through cleanly, no serious damage.'  
'Well that's a relief.' Mother grinned, her mood lifted by Baba's easy acceptance of his wound. 'The rest of your group came through okay?'  
'Apart from Libby's abdominal wound, we came through fine. Scarecrow broke a rib and his nose and Aloysius broke six ribs on top of the bolt wound in his thigh and a bullet to his left arm. Both men are in good health despite their injuries.' Baba nodded, settling back in his chair. 'For now though, you should rest. You have been through so much Mother.'  
'That's for sure.' Mother agreed, adjusting her pillow and settling down again. 'Thanks Baba.'  
'Anything for friends, Mother.' Baba promised, settling in for a long time in a hospital chair and he really didn't mind.


	22. Split Mission Pt 1

Snapping awake when someone gave him a shake, Aloysius reached for his glasses on the small table beside his bunk and rolled over, slipping his protective lenses on and slowly opening his eyes.  
'What's the go, Scarecrow?' he groaned, looking around slowly. 'Where the fuck are we now?'  
'I was hoping you could tell us. I have no idea where we are, Book II is blank, Baba's clueless and we can't find anyone else.' Shane replied, adjusting his own glasses.  
'What's the situation outside?' Aloysius asked, sitting up and pulling on his boots.

Listening to Shane's brief on their location, Aloysius felt his stomach drop to his ankles. He knew exactly where they were and he didn't like it one bit. But if Scarecrow couldn't find Mother, Fox, Falcon or Renard, there was a good chance this mission wouldn't be the horror scene Knight knew it had been.  
'Aden, Yemen; September 14th, 1998.' Aloysius uttered, grabbing his weapons and holstering everything quickly.  
'What are you going on about, Knight?' Shane asked, running out of the barracks with Knight.  
'September 24th is the day my life fell apart. Come on, this way Scarecrow.' Knight replied, kicking up the dust as he raced across the base towards the flight line and the barracks just near it.

Calling for Buck to join them on the run, Shane had no idea what they were getting into as the trio charged towards the barracks. Slowing to a walk, he threw the doors open and stalked inside, Shane and Buck following along behind him. Following the laughter, Aloysius headed straight for one of the bunkrooms, knowing exactly what he would find inside.  
'Fuck off! And mind your own business Aloysius!' one of the other pilots called, turning to glare at Aloysius. 'It's none of your business!'  
'You okay, Alley Cat?' Aloysius asked, totally ignoring the other men in the room.  
'Yeah, I'm okay Avenger.' Rufus nodded, jumping a little when Baba forced his way through the group to stand at his side. 'It's just Hartley being Hartley.'

Nodding sharply, Aloysius strode into the room slowly, getting right into Hartley's personal space. He was shorter than Hartley and didn't have the same physical intimidation factor but Knight was pissed off and looking to right a few wrongs. He'd been slow to react the first time Rufus had been threatened, this time he was going to make the first move.  
'Beat it, I said.' Hartley growled, looking down at Aloysius.

Stunning everyone with his first strike, Aloysius called upon what he'd learnt from Falcon and their escapades on the ice of Antarctica. Right knee into Hartley's groin, he shoved the bigger man back and dropped, planting his hands on the dirty floor. Lashing out with both feet, he knocked Hartley flying and bounced up to follow him, his blood boiling. Ducking a left cross from Hartley, Aloysius swung again, driving Hartley back across the room with ease. Dropping under another swing from Hartley, Aloysius spun and clicked his ankles together, dropping the bigger man to the floor. Pushing to his feet, Aloysius got in one more low shot, driving his right boot hard into Hartley's ribs and smirking when he felt something give.  
'Rufus' piloting skills are very much my business. So leave him alone, all of you.' Aloysius growled, turning to the stunned crowd gathered around the room. 'Or else I'll come back.'  
'And the next one won't be just Knight.' Baba added, looking up at Rufus with a grin.

Leaving Hartley choking on the ground, Aloysius left the bunkroom calmly, Rufus and Baba wandering out after him. Holding up one hand for silence, Aloysius led the entire group across the base to sit on a sandbag wall outside the command bunker.  
'What the hell is going on here?' Buck asked, crouching and looking up at Knight.  
'Welcome to the hell hole known as Yemen. Today is September 14th, 1998. By September 24th, we'll be up against the mission that turned our lives upside down. I don't know what effect, if any, you three will have on that mission or our subsequent burial under a fucking lighthouse.' Aloysius sighed, looking around at his friends. 'Hold on tight, we're in for a rough time until this is over.'  
'So can you explain the blacks?' Shane asked, looking down at his black fatigues.  
'My guess, you're running this one as my team. I always used to work solo but I don't have any other explanations.' Aloysius shrugged, glancing towards Baba. 'I'm also assuming that Baba's wound up on flight duties. Can't think of another reason why he'd be in olive drab.'  
'I already checked on that.' Rufus nodded, running one hand through his hair. 'He's my new door gunner, replacing Reaper after his untimely fall last week.'  
'That wasn't your fault buddy; Reaper should have been wearing his safety harness.' Aloysius replied, resting his hand on Rufus' shoulder.  
'So what are we supposed to do in the interim? We've got time and don't you dare say missions. It's bad enough to be wearing the wrong uniform, the fewer people that see this; the better.' Shane continued, shooting Aloysius a warning look.  
'There isn't much else to do around here, Scarecrow. When there's downtime, it's usually spent writing letters, reading or training.' Aloysius replied, head snapping up. 'Oh no…Mel. Rufus, keep an eye on the gang, I gotta make a phone call.'  
'Boss, you can't. She had no idea what's going on.' Rufus called, latching onto Aloysius' arm as he went past.

Unstoppable force meeting immoveable object ended up in laughs for the team. Yanked off balance by Rufus' added weigh, Aloysius went down hard in the dust, landing flat on his back with a sharp grunt. All too aware of what Aloysius could be like, Rufus planted one foot on his friend, pinning him to the ground easily.  
'I have to do something Rufus.' Aloysius snapped, trying to dislodge the rather large boot resting on his chest. 'I can't let her pay for my screw up again.'  
'You tell Mel about this before it happens and she'll wonder how the hell you know. She'll as likely run headlong into more danger than escape safely.' Rufus replied, pressing Aloysius down. 'There's another way to make things right.'  
'Alright, I'm listening.' Aloysius nodded, still trying to get free but Rufus was putting pressure in all the right places to keep him from going anywhere.  
'Call Falcon or Mother, they'll be able to do more than we can.' Rufus grinned, glancing at Scarecrow. 'Those girls will be itching for a fight, knowing we're over here and they got left behind this time. They'll be all over protecting Mel.'  
'The idea is to keep her safe. I hardly consider hanging around with Falcon and Mother to be safe for anyone. Let alone my wife, she's against weapons in the house.' Aloysius sighed, giving up his attempts to get out from under Rufus' foot.  
'If the choice is weapons in the house or death, I reckon she'll go along with it.' Shane offered, smirking at Knight's situation. 'It's nice to know someone can keep you in your place Aloysius.'  
'Why you little…' Aloysius snarled, fighting to get out from under Rufus again.  
'Settle down you two. We need a plan to survive the coming trouble.' Rufus warned, reaching over to crack Shane up the back of the head. 'As for you, I'll let you up if you agree that getting the girls involved is the better way to protect Mel. She can't know what's going on until it happens.'  
'Alright, alright. Now get your damned size 15 off my chest.' Aloysius nodded, knowing he'd never get up without Rufus' agreement.  
'I trust you mean 16.' Rufus chuckled, lifting his foot and allowing Aloysius to roll free.  
'I really thought you wore 15's.' Aloysius mused, getting to his feet and shaking off the dust. 'Come on Scarecrow, let's get this over with.'

~!~#~()~#~!~

Working up a good sweat with the remnants of the team on American soil, Emily sighed when her phone went off; destroying the steady rhythm she'd been working on for the last two hours. Dropping off the chin-up bar, she hooked out her phone and glanced at the caller ID for a moment.  
'It's about time you checked in Scarecrow.' she grinned, pressing her left hand to her open ear. 'I need you to speak up Scarecrow, this line sucks. Where are you?'  
"I said I'm in Yemen." Shane repeated, trying to make his message heard through the static.  
'Yemen? What the hell are you doing over there?' Emily asked, warning Libby to stay back.  
"It's Knight's turn. We're here to repeat his fall from grace." Shane explained, the static slowly clearing. "It all happens September 24."  
'September 24, copy. What do you need us to do?' Emily nodded, glancing over to see Mother make a note of the mentioned date. 'We can be at your location in 24 hours.'  
"Negative. Hold the line, Avenger wants to speak with you." Shane replied, a rattle on the line indicating changing hands.  
"Falcon, you copy?" Knight asked, revealing who Avenger was.  
'Go ahead Avenger. Speak while this line is clear.' Emily confirmed, shrugging when Veronique shot her a questioning look.  
"It might take us a few months to get back to base after this goes down, if we can get back at all. I need you to go to Sacramento, it happened around December 20th last time. Take the full team with you and go armed for war. My wife will be in the firing line, at least two goons will come after her and our baby girl. There's little chance I'll be home in time to protect them but you will be. We've had our arguments in the past Falcon, but there's no one I'd trust more with this." Aloysius briefed, the fear clear in his voice as he rattled off an address.  
'One moment then repeat location.' Emily sighed, reaching out to grab Mother's notepad and pen, flipping to a new page. 'Go ahead Avenger.'

Scrawling out the address and making a note to triple check the exact location, Emily nodded and handed the pad back to Mother with a faint grin, trusting the older woman to figure out what was going on.  
'We'll make it happen, Avenger. Just leave it to us, we'll keep your ladies safe.' Emily nodded, dropping a hint as to the address the rest of the female team were looking at.  
"Much appreciated, Falcon. We'll try and be home on time but no promises. It all depends on what happens over here." Aloysius replied, relief colouring his voice for a moment. "You can relax about the rest of the team. We have Alley Cat, Baba and Book II here as well."  
'Copy that, Avenger. Mother, Fox, Renard and I will handle things this side.' Emily grinned, watching the way the ladies were staring at her. 'Fox will have ranking position.'  
"I have faith in you ladies." Aloysius replied, confident with the quartet protecting his wife and baby from harm. "I have to go, we're being called for a briefing. Tell Mel that I love her and I'll be home soon."  
'Copy that, Avenger. Keep us informed and give the guys our best.' Emily chuckled, waiting a few moments before closing her phone.

Swearing softly for a moment, Emily shoved her phone in her pocket and held out her hand for the notepad the women were all looking at. Knowing they'd get the story soon, Mother handed over the pad, all eyes on Emily as she looked at the address and date they had. Nodding slowly, Emily gathered their half of the team close together, the four of them huddling together and talking in hushed whispers.  
'Okay ladies, here's the story so far. The other half of our team is in Yemen, preparing for an assault on Port Sudan on the 24th. We've already turned Antarctica around, now it's time to stop Avenger from taking a big fall. We have to be at this address on the 20th of December. According to Avenger, that's when it happened last time. Avenger is trusting us to protect his wife and baby girl from harm.' Emily briefed, looking around the group.  
'I always suspected Knight had another callsign.' Libby remarked, shaking her head slowly. 'Nice to know he finally trusts us enough to reveal it.'  
'We all have our reasons for keeping secrets, Fox.' Emily shrugged, looking around the group slowly. 'All he said was arm for war and to expect at least two goons. You've got the rank, this is all yours to lead Fox.'  
'You sure know how to get us into it neck deep, don't you Falcon.' Libby groused, taking the notepad and looking at the address again. 'We've got plenty of time so we'll rig up some kind of simulated house and work out how to handle the house. Falcon, you've got the skills. Organise a week of leave and head for this address, get us some Intel on the internal structure of the house.'  
'Copy that, Fox. Should I let Mel know that I'm a friend of Aloysius' or keep it quiet?' Emily asked, a mischievous twinkle in her dark eyes.  
'Tell her you're a friend but don't go into too many details. I know you can get us maps of the house, whatever it takes.' Libby replied, shaking her head slowly. 'And no informing Mel that there is a threat to her life in December.'  
'She won't find out from me until the day.' Emily promised, breaking away from the group.

~!~#~()~#~!~

The 24th came around far too quickly for Aloysius' liking, he wasn't sure that Shane and Buck were fully up to speed on what they were getting into but there was no more time. Tonight they lived or died as a team, three lives on the line for a dangerous mission. There was no going back now, it was time to put his knowledge to the test and together they would either survive or die like dogs.

Getting to his feet as the chopper swung into a hover over the street below, Aloysius moved forward and rested his hand on the door gunners' shoulder for a moment before hooking onto the rope and rappelling down to the ground. Hitting the dirt together, the trio released the ropes and ran into the darkness, Aloysius leading the way without fault.

Finding the warehouse they needed, Aloysius didn't hesitate, leading his friends inside and up onto the catwalk. Without checking to make sure his companions were behind him, Aloysius headed straight for the corner he'd picked last time around. It was a good spot to stakeout the warehouse from, giving optimal viewing across the entire interior of the abandoned warehouse.  
'Now we wait.' Aloysius whispered, crouching low and cradling his silenced MP-5 to his chest.

Getting settled, the trio were silent, night vision goggles giving them a ghostly green view of the abandoned warehouse come Al-Qaeda training facility. It was so eerie and completely against what the Marines were used to. They were more used to storming the guns and charging head long into danger. Sitting around doing nothing was quickly becoming boring.

Signalling for total silence, Aloysius pointed down to where four men were now entering the building. Three were wearing casual clothes, more suited to their home turf but the taller one was wearing robes. Nodding slowly in understanding, the junior pair kept their eyes on the trio on the floor, waiting for the right moment.

Sending back the fateful signal to the base, Aloysius turned back to the other two just in time to see Shane bring his own MP-5 up and sight down the barrel. Before Aloysius could do anything about it, Shane had opened fire, pouring a full magazine down at the quartet. His aim was good, nailing the tall man in robes before turning onto the three American turncoats.  
'Oh shit, now you've done it Scarecrow.' Aloysius breathed, getting to his feet and dumping his signal pack on the catwalk. 'Come on, we have to get out of here.'  
'Where are we going?' Buck asked, bringing up the rear of their little sprinting group.  
'The lighthouse. We still have to finish this mission.' Aloysius replied, leading the way out via a second door and running hard through the dirty streets.

~!~#~()~#~!~

Dropping off the Delta hit team, Rufus could only hope that his one other friend on base had come through for them. He'd called in the only other favour he'd been owed but there hadn't been time to talk to Jacobsen to see if he'd managed to complete the mission Rufus had asked of him. Mentally crossing his fingers, Rufus pulled back to a higher and safer holding pattern as he waited for the hit team to finish at the warehouse.

Picking them up again once they'd discovered Aloysius and his team weren't at the warehouse, Rufus headed for the lighthouse, following a roundabout flight path to get there. In the back, Baba listened to Brandeis as he checked his weapon and realised all his magazines were loaded with blanks. Even the breaching rounds for his shotgun had been replaced with blanks. Brandeis was fuming about the switch but there wasn't a lot he could do about it now. He still had a job to do.

Landing beside the lighthouse, Rufus shut down his chopper and glanced back over his shoulder as the hit team disembarked, two moving to stand guard on the coast as the rest spread out across the plateau, surrounding the trio of friends.  
'Watch my back, Baba. If anyone comes near the chopper, let me know.' Rufus uttered, unbuckling his harness and reaching under his console. 'This will only take a few minutes.'  
'Everyone is distracted by the confrontation between Aloysius and Brandeis.' Baba replied, keeping a sharp eye on the group gathered on the grass.

Tinkering around in the darkness, Rufus deftly removed several components and tucked them into his flight suit pockets. The components he took effectively rendered the aircraft useless and he was counting on Jacobsen's word to protect his now immobile bird. If Jacobsen hadn't done his job, this Blackhawk would end up as a scrap heap. If Brandeis couldn't steal it, he would certainly try and destroy it. Hopefully Jacobsen had remembered to switch their grenades as well.

Yanking out one last component and fitting the lock onto a small modification he'd made off the record, Rufus swung the cockpit door open and jumped out, holstering his pistol and grabbing his rifle from where he kept it in the cockpit.  
'Come on Baba, we're needed over the other side. Make sure you bring your Kord and lock the mounted weaponry against use.' Rufus grinned, removing his helmet and buckling it to his belt.  
'Are you sure about this plan, Alley Cat?' Baba asked, unhooking his Kord from the mounting brackets and securing it to his shoulder harness again.  
'I wouldn't leave my bird if I didn't think this was going to work. It'll work, just you watch Baba.' Rufus nodded, leaning back against the cool hull of his precious Blackhawk.

Sure enough, Aloysius led his team towards the chopper and Brandeis ordered five of his men to take them out. This time Rufus saw it and reacted without hesitation, darting around behind his chopper and waiting for the rest of the team to come bursting out of the hold.  
'What the hell? Why aren't they shooting at us?' Aloysius asked, coming up onto his knees and opening fire on the men on the other side of the chopper.  
'They can't.' Rufus sniggered, spinning around and firing over the nose of his bird.  
'Someone swapped their live ammunition for blanks.' Baba grinned, firing under the tail as the hit team spread out and started coming towards the chopper.

Even with five men firing in as many directions as possible, the smaller team knew they didn't have the numbers to win this fight on open ground. Covering each other, they broke through the shrinking circle of Delta men and ran for the lighthouse, bolting inside and opening fire on the Delta men again.

Suddenly they were forced away from the door, a shocking wave of fire coming from the direction they'd left the chopper. Slapping his goggles down, Rufus peeked around the corner and groaned. From the looks of things, Jacobsen had screwed up on his end of the deal.  
'Remind me to never trust Spanner again.' Rufus uttered, ducking back out of sight.  
'First we have to survive this and figure out how to get home.' Aloysius replied, remembering the last time they'd been caught in this situation. 'Baba, find the storm cellar. Scarecrow, give Baba some cover. Book, you stick with us for now.'

Hustling across the enclosed space, Baba hit the wall when the door was kicked in and all hell broke out inside the lighthouse. Over by the staircase, Aloysius, Rufus and Buck were putting on a show, making it seem like all five men were over there while Shane and Baba found their hiding place and made sure it was ready.

Turing on Knight's signal, the trio raced up the stairs, drawing the rest of the hit team up after them all except for Brandeis and his two snipers. For now, Shane and Baba didn't dare move, one wrong step and Brandeis would be all over them. From above, Knight opened fire, giving the pair a chance to react. As the echo of Knight's shotguns rang around the lighthouse, Baba moved forward and kicked at the latch holding the storm cellar doors closed. Crouching, he yanked the doors open and raised his weapon, sighting on the trio standing there with no idea about the dangers lurking around on the ground floor with them.

Another shotgun blast echoed down from the next floor up and Brandeis turned and left, his two snipers following him. Remembering what Aloysius had told them about this mission, Shane didn't hesitate, running across the ground floor and dropping into the storm cellar.  
'Come on Baba, get in here.' Shane called, looking up the hollow shaft for any sight of the others.

But much to Shane's surprise, Baba didn't jump into the storm cellar. Instead, he turned and ran outside, bowling right through the three men lingering out outside the door and disappearing into the darkness. One of the snipers got his act together and fired after the big Frenchman but apart from a faint grunt, he had no idea if he'd hit the escaping door gunner.

Quickly untangling the black rope that had landed on his shoulders, Shane stepped back and raised his MP-5, searching the darkness for any threats as he waited for the rest of the team to come down to his location. Hearing a sharp whizzing sound, Shane moved back, opening up the space for his friends. Aloysius dropped in first, slapping the quick release on his harness as he moved aside. Buck was next through the doors, rolling across the floor to avoid Rufus as he came zipping down the rope.

Getting to his feet, Rufus groped around outside and yanked the door closed again before bolting into the back corner of the concrete lined storm cellar. Huddled together in the darkness, the quartet instinctively protected their heads as the mighty lighthouse came crashing down with a frightening roar. It felt like an earthquake and sounded like the end of days as the four men pressed up against the back wall and prayed their luck held.

~!~#~()~#~!~

Outside, as Aloysius was leading Buck and Rufus to safety, Baba was hunkered down in the belly of the abandoned chopper, engaged in a shooting contest to protect the bird. Brandeis and his snipers wanted the bird and were prepared to fight for it but Baba knew it was their only ticket home. Once Brandeis realised it was useless, he'd keep trying grenades he had until he found one that worked. Baba couldn't let that happen. He had to keep their escape route intact.

Hearing one scream in the darkness, Baba smirked and kept stitching his fire across the grass, grateful that he only had one flank to protect. He'd had the foresight to close and lock the left doors, using what he had to hand to ensure the doors couldn't be opened from the outside. He'd also secured the cockpit doors, leaving just one access point but for anyone to get into the hold, they had to run the gauntlet of his Kord.

The explosion of the lighthouse lit up the night sky like daybreak, giving Baba the chance he'd been waiting for. Whipping the massive gun around, he nailed the snipers and swung his fire onto Brandeis, but the Delta Captain was smarter and disappeared down the narrow, steep trail that lead from the Port up to the lighthouse.

Lowering his weapon, Baba looked at the destroyed lighthouse as the light of the blast faded. There were a few small spot fires burning but nowhere near enough to help him figure out where to start digging. Shouldering his Kord, he leapt out of the chopper and yanked the door closed behind him. Reaching for one of the tricks Rufus had handed him, he locked the door and made his way over towards the rubble pile where his friends were buried.

Working out where the walls had originally been, he calculated where the storm cellar should be and started clearing the debris around where he thought the doors should have been. Working by moonlight alone, he laboured away with the rubble, one ear tuned for anyone approaching as he struggled to clear some of the larger pieces of debris and find his friends somewhere below.

Bending his back to the task, he tried not to think of the lives under his feet somewhere. They were some of his closest friends and he worried for them but worrying wasn't going to get them out any faster. All he could do was dig, alone and still a hunted man until he found them...or their bloodied corpses if Aloysius had been wrong.

Adding to his troubles, Baba had been caught out earlier, a lucky shot from one of the snipers had caught him earlier, burning through his left shoulder. For now it had stopped bleeding but Baba was fairly sure it would be bleeding again long before he dug his friends out of trouble.

~!~#~()~#~!~

Coughing and choking on the dust in the air, Aloysius flicked on the under barrel flashlight for his USP, lighting up the almost destroyed cellar. Looking around slowly, his stomach dropped. He only counted three filthy faces around him.  
'Where's Baba?' he croaked, looking around slowly.  
'He bolted earlier.' Shane coughed, lightly touching a nasty cut on his forehead. 'I saw him get out.'  
'Everyone okay?' Rufus asked, coughing up a lungful of dust and muck.  
'A little bloodied but I'm good.' Buck replied, his voice low and rough in his throat.  
'It's going to take us days to dig out.' Aloysius groaned, spitting a mouthful of saliva and dust off to the side. 'The door should be there.'

Choking and spluttering, Shane crawled forward and looked up at the rubble that had crashed through the heavy wooden door and spilled across the floor. Examining the pile carefully, he cautiously climbed up to the top and pushed at some of the smaller pieces, trying to see if there was an easy path out.  
'I'm all for advice over here, Avenger.' he called, bowing his head and coughing up another lungful of dust. 'How'd you do it last time?'  
'Every building drop is different.' Aloysius replied, approaching the pile and looking it over slowly.  
'Start over here, it looks loose.' Rufus guided, pointing to a spot over to the right of the pile.

Gathering around the spot indicated, the quartet started to dig at the rubble, struggling to breathe clearly as they kicked up fresh dust with every stone they moved out of the pile. Working in pairs, they shifted the pile cautiously, always watchful for another slide in the rubble blocking their escape. Each time the pile did shift, Aloysius yanked Shane out of danger before helping him back onto the pile and getting back to work when it settled again.

It was hard work, quickly exhausting the already sore and tired quartet but they couldn't rest. There was still a chance this mission could be salvaged. And there was the little matter of Baba's absence from the main group.  
'Any ideas on how we're supposed to get back to base?' Buck asked, taking another lump of debris from Aloysius and carrying it over to the second pile they were building.  
'We'll fly back of course.' Rufus replied, careful with the rubble he was moving. 'I made damned sure Brandeis couldn't flog my chopper again.'  
'What did you do, buddy?' Aloysius asked, handing off another lump of destroyed bricks and mortar.  
'I might have removed a few vital components and put a secret clamp on the fuel lines. Even if he could jury rig around the components I stole, there's no way he'd get my bird off the ground without finding the secret switch and putting in my release code.' Rufus smirked, constantly wary of crushing the delicate components hidden in his pockets as he worked with the rubble.  
'Now that's sticking it to Brandeis.' Aloysius nodded, cutting his hands on the rubble but his desire for freedom was strong. 'Hang in there Mel, I'm coming home this time.'

~!~#~()~#~!~

Losing all track of time, Baba kept digging down, finding the smashed remains of the stripped back generator and using that to lock onto the final position of the cellar door. Homing in on the half demolished opening into the cellar, he dug harder, throwing the smaller pieces off to the side and lugging the larger pieces only a few steps before coming back for more.

Going down to one knee, he hoisted a particularly large piece and staggered away with it before his attention was caught by the faint murmur of voices below. Depositing his latest burden, Baba returned to the smashed cellar entrance and dropped to his knees, trying to peer into the shadows of the underground room.

Pulling his head back when someone touched his nose, Baba grinned and heaved up, tearing away at the remaining rubble as quickly as he could. Tipping large pieces over and throwing the smaller pieces clear, he went at it hard, so close to the reunion he'd been slaving away for.  
'Baba?' Shane called, his voice weak but still there.  
'Oui, I am here Scarecrow.' Baba replied, heaving another large piece clear.  
'Damn, ain't you a sight for sore eyes, Baba.' Aloysius grinned, one hand up to shade his eyes as sunlight poured into the half destroyed cellar.  
'Is everyone okay?' Baba asked, kneeling and searching out the right piece to move.  
'Tired, bloodied and half choked on dust but we're all alive and intact.' Shane confirmed, squirming out of the narrow gap that had been opened. 'Move this one Baba. That should make the gap big enough for the others to get out.'  
'Make it bigger than you think, Scarecrow. Remember, Rufus has those flight components.' Aloysius warned, still scrabbling away at the pile underneath.

Working together, Baba and Shane hauled the largest piece of debris off the entrance, making the gap much bigger before Baba reached down and hauled Aloysius out of the pit. Moving away from the rubble, Aloysius whipped up his pistol and shotgun, scanning the area slowly as Baba helped Rufus up out of their temporary prison before going back for Buck.  
'What the hell happened out here while we were buried?' Rufus asked, looking at the bullet damage all along the flank of his bird.  
'I had a shoot out with Brandeis and his two remaining men. Brandeis escaped, he went down the goat track.' Baba replied, walking over to unlock the chopper.  
'Looks like one of them winged you, Baba.' Shane remarked, following the taller men towards the chopper. 'How badly were you hit?'  
'It's a clean shot, right through the muscle.' Baba replied, taking a seat in the hold as Rufus climbed through and unlocked the cockpit.  
'Fifteen and we can get out of here. Just keep a sharp eye for trouble. I've had enough of this hell.' Rufus called, setting all the stolen components on his chair and settling on his back beside the pedals to fit it all back together.


	23. Split Mission Pt 2

They were still ready to go to war, even though Aloysius' Intel had proven to be completely messed up. Mel Knight was in no danger and she wasn't in Sacramento, she'd moved in among the half of the team still on American soil. Of course, that didn't mean the team dropped their vigilance, they were still fully prepared to fight for Mel and her baby but it seemed unlikely to be a problem now.

Mel blended into the group without too much hassle, finding her feet on the mixed base and enjoying the company of the women that had offered her friendship and a safe place to live when Aloysius was away. The mismatched team of friends accepted her just as happily, going out of their way to make sure Mel felt accepted.

Mel Knight was a beautiful woman, with a shapely figure with just enough curves to avoid being considered scrawny and long mousey brown hair that she always kept in a high ponytail. Walking around the base with her baby, she got a lot of attention from the other Marines and soldiers on station but they all recognised the small pin she wore on her shirt and left her alone. No one was crazy enough to go for the wife of a Delta man while he was away fighting.

Mel certainly appreciated the peace, it wasn't easy to be married to a Delta operator and being a single mom with no idea when her husband would be home again made it even more of a challenge. At least she had friends now, most wives around Delta stayed away because she was married to the shining star of Team 7. No one wanted to make their husband look bad against Aloysius' stunning record.

But surrounded by these Marines and their French companion, Mel didn't have to worry about any of it. They had all given her a glimpse at their own military records, telling her stories and giving her a look into the lives of people that fought alongside her husband. Aloysius never talked much about his experiences, Mel never pushed but sometimes she wised he would tell her more.

But as much as Mel put on a smile and enjoyed the company of her new friends as they waited for news from afar, Mel Knight was hiding a secret from everyone. Tucked away among all the paperwork she'd packed and transferred from Fort Bragg, she had a simple yellow envelope for her husband. Nothing odd there, she often had paperwork for him to deal with, he might have been a Delta soldier but he still had bills to worry about and a mortgage on his shoulders. But this envelope was different.

~!~#~()~#~!~

By the second week of October, everyone was starting to worry. There had been no word form the men, nothing at all to indicate if their mission in Sudan had gone to plan or completely failed or something in between. Even the Base Commanders weren't telling them anything and they were usually upfront with their troops about people that weren't coming home.

But finally, on the 12th of October, as the women were relaxing on Libby's front lawn, talking about their men and waiting for news even as they entertained baby Christine, they all looked up when one of the base transport trucks rolled to a stop outside the house. Before anyone could question the driver, the back canvas cover was thrown open and the five missing men jumped out, shouldering their duffels as they came around the truck and gazed at the waiting ladies.

Tossing his bag to Rufus, Aloysius vaulted Libby's front fence and swept Mel into his arms, holding her tight and rejoicing in the reunion he hadn't thought would happen. He had managed to fix the damage done, his family was safe and the US government wasn't looking for his head. He'd done it, his family was safe and life was looking good.  
'I missed you, sweetheart.' Aloysius uttered, setting Mel back on her feet but still keeping her close to his chest. 'How's my other special girl?'  
'She's growing up so fast. She's just over there on the blanket.' Mel replied, pointing to where baby Christine was happily soaking up dedicated attention from Emily.  
'She's getting so big now.' Aloysius grinned, squeezing Mel tight for a second before drawing away from her slowly.

Taking a knee beside the blanket, Aloysius shot Emily a grateful smile as he deftly scooped Christine up and held her gently in his arms. Looking up at him, the happy little toddler smiled and laughed, reaching for her father excitedly.  
'Daddy's home, Chrissie.' Aloysius cooed, bringing her to his chest and lightly rubbing her back as she babbled happily. 'Thanks for keeping them safe, Falcon.'  
'There hasn't been a fight for them yet, Avenger. We've been waiting for it but no one has tried to harm your girls.' Emily shrugged, smiling softly as Aloysius held his daughter so lovingly.  
'Maybe it won't happen this time. After all, I'm still here and there's no bounty this time.' Aloysius mused, most of his focus on little Christine. 'Whatever the reason, I'm forever grateful my family is safe and unharmed by this storm.'  
'I have to say, Aloysius, she's a beautiful little girl. It's hard to believe she's a Knight.' Emily teased, reaching out to lightly stroke Christine's dark hair.  
'Yeah, we knew she was more Anderson from the start.' Aloysius grinned, glancing back at Mel. 'I don't mind though, she's still my precious little angel.'  
'It's been a blessing to care for her.' Mother nodded, looking back from where she was standing with Baba. 'Unlike her father.'  
'Hey, now that's not fair Mother.' Aloysius chuckled, straightening up and adjusting his hold on his little girl. 'I have a feeling that one day, this little girl is going to do big things with her life.'

Adjusting the two bags over his shoulders, Rufus walked over to rest one hand on Aloysius' shoulder, gazing down at the little princess cuddled safely in the loving embrace of her father. Looking up, Aloysius smiled and eased Christine back a little, letting her look up at Rufus without losing the loving hold of her father.

Standing back from the pair, Mel was ready to run in if Christine started screaming at the sight of the taller man. But much to Mel's surprise, Christine laughed and reached for the bigger man, babbling away as if she'd always known him.  
'Relax Mel.' Aloysius soothed, glancing over his shoulder at her. 'I trust Rufus with everything. He's a good man.'

Setting their bags down, Rufus carefully took the happy little girl, cradling her to his strong chest with one arm as he lightly stroked her cheek. Reaching out with tiny hands, Christine babbled away like they were old friends, squealing with delight at the devoted attention. An instinctive carer, Rufus let her explore, her tiny body almost disappearing in his sturdy arms as she latched her fingers into his beard and tugged.  
'Don't worry about it, Boss. I've had worse, she's just exploring.' Rufus grinned, untangling her fingers and chuckling as she was distracted by his watch.  
'You seem to know what you're doing there, Rufus.' Mel remarked, returning to Aloysius' side and cuddling in under his arm happily.  
'Before the Army, I spent a lot of time helping with little ones. Raised in an orphanage, I did what I could to help the nuns that raised us all.' Rufus sighed, letting all his friends have a small glimpse into his life before they knew him. 'I was one of the unwanted kids, I stayed in that place until I was 18 then I went straight into the Army. Nowhere else to go really.'  
'Not unwanted anymore, Rufus.' Baba grinned, resting one hand on Rufus' shoulder. 'You will always be a vital part of our team.'  
'Thanks Baba.' Rufus nodded, looking down to find Christine was fast asleep. 'Sleep well and dream the sweetest of dreams, dear Christine. You're the luckiest girl alive.'

Humbled by the insinuation, Aloysius carefully took his little girl back and held her lovingly, the very picture of a devoted father and a loving husband. Looking down when Mel took his hand, Aloysius smiled as she removed his wedding band from the chain she wore. Shifting his grip on their daughter, Aloysius accepted his ring back, gazing at the shining gold for a moment before drawing Mel in against his side.

Looking at the picture of a happy family in front of him, Shane sighed and wrapped one arm around Libby's shoulders, leaning in to whisper something in her ear. If Aloysius could rewrite his story and get the happy ended he wanted, Shane figured he could roll the dice with Libby and everything would work out okay. No more disasters, they'd survived the worse and were all still kicking around.

Keeping Christine safe against his chest, Aloysius crouched and shouldered his bag before drawing Mel close and looking around for a moment. It didn't take him long to spot their house, the bright pink stroller on the front porch was a dead giveaway.  
'I'll see you guys later; I've got a lot of missed time to make up for.' Aloysius grinned, taking Mel by the hand and heading for their home.  
'Please don't let his good times end this time around.' Rufus uttered, grabbing his bag and watching the happy family for a few minutes. 'He deserves a little happiness.'  
'But what about you Rufus? Now that Mel's back, you're alone again.' Libby asked, slipping out from under Shane's arm.  
'I'm not really alone, I've got my friends and that's a lot more than I had last time around.' Rufus shrugged, shouldering his bag. 'Just means I don't have anyone else in my bed.'  
'I could 'ave done without that mental picture Rufus.' Veronique groaned, elbowing him in the gut.  
'You get used to it, Renard.' Buck laughed, clapping Rufus on the back and heading for his home.

~!~#~()~#~!~

Holding his head high even with the bright pink stroller that had become a near constant accessory for him, Aloysius found a new rhythm over the next week, a rhythm that completely revolved around his precious girls. He still found time for his friends but their times together were secondary to Aloysius spending time with his family. He had so many years to make up for, so many moments that had been stolen from their family the last time around and he intended to make the most of all of it. He was going to have his happy ending and nothing was going to get in the way.

Leaving Mel to sleep in, Aloysius was up at six every morning, getting Christine ready for the day and giving her a light pre-breakfast before strapping her into her stroller and heading out for a run around the base. Christine loved it, kicking her feet in her stroller with the rhythm of Aloysius' feet on the pavement. She got even more excited when they had extra company with them, babbling and clapping her hands to get attention.

Home by eight, Aloysius would take a fresh cup of coffee in for Mel, leaving it on her side table for her and going back to the kitchen until she was awake. While Mel was waking up, Aloysius would give Christine her proper breakfast and organise Mel's breakfast before worrying about his own. Mel usually got up somewhere around 8:30, sipping her coffee as she wandered into the kitchen for breakfast and some precious time watching Aloysius doting over Christine.

Aloysius' friends purposefully made a big effort to let Aloysius have all the time he wanted with his family, they all had a bad feeling about something but no one seemed to be able to put their finger on why they had a bad feeling. All they knew was something was going to go wrong and it all revolved around the Knight family.

Theories were thrown about among the friends, everyone had their own ideas about what might be going on but most ideas were shot down as soon as they saw the light of day. There was no way Mel was stepping out on Aloysius; Emily had already checked that one out. Whenever Mel was off base, Emily put her training into practise and followed her, blending into the crowds and making sure Mel was being faithful to her vows.

They knew Aloysius wasn't stepping out either, since Mel's arrival on base he'd only spent time with Rufus as friends and comrades, everything kept above board and out of the bedroom. Aloysius didn't even go into Rufus' house, as much as that hurt them both but the risks were too high. Aloysius was trying to make this work; spending time with Rufus behind closed doors was too great of a temptation.

~!~#~()~#~!~

A month since Aloysius' story turned around completely, he wandered into the house for lunch but instead of finding Mel busy in the kitchen and Christine happily playing in her playpen in the corner, Aloysius found only a large yellow envelope on the counter. Ignoring it for the moment, he dug around in the refrigerator for his lunch, finding a plate of sandwiches Mel must have made earlier and left for him.

Coffee and sandwiches in one hand and envelope under his arm, Aloysius headed out to sit on the front porch and wait for his ladies, knowing they wouldn't be too far away. But first he needed to know what was in the envelope. If it was important, Mel would have made a note of whatever it was on the front so he could prioritise it properly.

Breaking the seal, he pulled out the sheaf of paper inside and flipped them over. Eyes blowing wide behind his glasses, he didn't even notice he'd dropped his coffee mug, the scalding liquid soaking through his pants completely unnoticed as he stared at the front page of the document Mel had left for him.

Gaze dropping a little, he looked at the date on the first page, breath catching in his throat as he gazed at the numbers. She'd been holding onto this for a while, he'd been fighting in Yemen when she'd organised this horrible surprise for him. Thinking back, he revised that thought, he'd been home on emergency leave the week that she'd organised this, burying his father after a heart attack. She'd been planning this for so long and only now, when life was good, did she choose to drop the bombshell on him.

Putting the document aside carefully, Aloysius hung his head, slumping down on the wrought iron table they'd brought for their third anniversary. Biting his lip to stay quiet, he let the tears fall, ignoring the world around him as he mourned for the happy life snatched away from him again. He'd tried so hard to be a good husband and father but the death knoll had rung out again, stealing away his smile and leaving him with nothing again.

Coming out of her own house, Emily saw Aloysius slumped at the table and sprinted across the street, pounding up the stairs to check he was okay. She had no idea what to do when she rested her hand on his shoulder and felt it shake as she heard a muffled sob from the man she'd come to respect so much.  
'Hey, what's got you so down, Aloysius?' she asked, crouching and lightly resting one hand in his hair. 'You can tell me, I just want to help.'

Lifting his head a little, Aloysius nudged the document towards her, the hurt too raw for him to say anything. Hiding his face again, he tried to stay quiet, desperate to hang onto his dignity even as he lost everything else he had strived for. Emily was silent beside him, one arm heavy across his back as she flipped through the thick document.  
'I'm sorry Aloysius.' she offered, stroking his back slowly. 'You didn't deserve this.'  
'I tried…so hard.' Aloysius uttered, swallowing thickly when his voice caught. 'Why now?'  
'I don't know, Aloysius. I don't have all the answers.' Emily sighed, resting her cheek against his shoulder. 'Is this the first time you've been home since July?'  
'No, I was home for the last week of July.' Aloysius replied, fumbling his glasses off. 'My dad died. Heart attack.'

Cursing Mel's behaviour under her breath, Emily just held Aloysius tight, giving him a rock to lean on as everything else crumbled around him. He'd been trying so hard to make up for his mistakes, devoting all his time to the family he'd lost once and managed to protect when given the chance to make things right.  
'You shouldn't be alone right now, Aloysius. Leave Mel to me, I'll talk to her. But you should stay out of her sight for a little while; you're in no state to handle this right now.' Emily coaxed, not sure what else to do right now.  
'I don't need you to fight my battles, Emily.' Aloysius uttered but his heart wasn't in it anymore.  
'No but we all need a battle buddy to watch out for us. You've taken enough body blows for the team; let me handle things for a little while.' Emily soothed, gently guiding Aloysius to sit up and slipping his glasses into place. 'You trusted me in Antarctica, trust me again now.'

Nodding slowly, Aloysius allowed Emily to haul him to his feet and down the stairs, the document secure in her hand as she led him across the street. Showing strength rarely seen, she kept him moving past several houses before turning and heading for the one place he would be truly safe. Up the stairs and she pounded on the door, leaning Aloysius up against the wall and pinning him there.

Pounding on the door again, Emily relaxed when it finally opened. Swinging her gaze away at the sight of a dripping wet Rufus clad in nothing but a towel, she yanked Aloysius off the wall and shoved him through the door, hustling the pair inside and kicking the door closed behind them. Keeping a tight grip on Aloysius, she got him into the living room and settled on the couch before motioning for Rufus to join her in the kitchen.  
'What the hell is going on, Falcon?' Rufus asked, clutching at his towel before he lost all his remaining dignity.  
'Avenger just got the ultimate kick in the guts.' Emily replied, handing over the document. 'Found him crying on the front porch with this.'

Reading the first couple of pages, Rufus swallowed and handed the document back, glancing over his shoulder towards the living room. Aloysius hadn't moved, he was still slumped on the couch where Emily had unceremoniously dumped him.  
'What are we gonna do now? It's obvious he ain't handling this any better than her death.' Rufus sighed, scrubbing one hand over his face.  
'You're going to keep an eye on Aloysius, I don't want him anywhere near Mel until we sort this out. I'll talk to Mel, see if we can't make this as amicable and gentle as possible. I hate seeing Aloysius like this, it's not right.' Emily replied, looking down at the cruel document in her hand.

They both turned at the sound of desperate sobbing from the living room. Nodding slowly, Emily tightened her fingers around the document and brushed her left hand against Rufus' arm. Returning the nod, Rufus turned and headed for the living room as she left the house, a rough plan forming in her mind.

~!~#~()~#~!~

Picking their moment carefully, Emily, Libby and Veronique descended on the Knight house, determined to speak with Mel. In her hand, Emily was still clutching the thick sheaf of paper Aloysius had been forced to face, the pages a little wrinkled after Emily let the full team in on the situation but Mel didn't need to know that they all knew.

When Mel did eventually answer the door, she tried to get rid of the women by saying Aloysius wasn't home but when she saw the document in Emily's hand she changed tactics. But the fact Christine was asleep wasn't going to stop the three women from what they wanted to do. In the end, Mel gave in and let the trio inside, leading them to the furthest room from where Christine was sleeping.

Standing in the middle of the room, the three angered women easily controlled the situation, presenting a united front against Mel, the incriminating document held tightly in Emily's battle scarred right hand.  
'You should have expected this, Melissa. You know Aloysius is important to us, his abilities as a soldier make him an invaluable member of our team. You knew he would share his pain with us so why are you so surprised we're here now that you've dropped this on him.' Emily asked, her tone low and angry. She was pissed off and it showed, she was using her combat voice.  
'You knew what you were getting into when you married a soldier. You knew that he wouldn't always be home. You knew he would miss important dates. You knew he wouldn't be able to tell you where he's been, what his next mission is about or when he'll be home.' Libby added, refusing to leave until they had the answers they wanted.  
'You still married him and produced a beautiful little girl that he obviously loves very much. It's clear to anyone with eyes that he would do whatever he had to just to keep his precious ladies close and safe. So why, after everything he has done to keep you both safe and happy, did you feel the need to dump this on him without warning?' Veronique pushed, just as close with Aloysius even though she didn't have the same history with him.

Green eyes flashing angrily, Mel looked at the three women that dared to get involved in her personal business. This had nothing to do with them, it was between her and Aloysius. His friends had no right to interfere.  
'Aloysius and I made a promise on our wedding night and I intend to hold him to it. He swore that he would finish his five years and then take his next promotion and get off active duty. He gave me his word, even going so far as to sign a contract that he would do his time and then transfer to a training regiment. He broke that promise and I won't stand for that.' Mel retorted, getting up and taking the document from Emily.

Accepting the document back, Emily read over the included contract, scanning for any inconsistencies and considering what she knew of Aloysius. Leaning closer, Renard and Fox read it as well, pointing out various things that didn't feel right to them. The signature at the bottom couldn't be denied though, it was the same one they'd all seen at various times during their time with Aloysius.  
'Okay, fine. He signed a contract and made a very big promise to you. He was going through some major stress in July, he'd just found out his father had died. Don't think for a moment that he forgot his promise, he knew but he couldn't just walk away. That's not the Delta way.' Emily growled, holding the document with both hands so she didn't punch Mel.  
'If there's one thing you should have learnt over the five years you were married to him, you should have known just how important his job was to him. You would have seen how hard he worked, how much effort he put into being the best so he could be the one called on when the world needed a saviour in black fatigues.' Libby agreed, shaking her head in disgust.

Flicking through the document again, Emily stopped at another page and sighed, partially grateful Aloysius hadn't seen this part yet and partially concerned for what he'd do when he finally did see this clause in the rather hefty document.  
'Of all the clauses you put in this, I find this to be the most distasteful part of all. I am grateful for the fact Aloysius hasn't seen this yet, it'll kill him as sure as a bullet to the brain.' Emily warned, turning the page so her companions could see what she was talking about. 'Custody of Christine.'  
'You have no right to call Aloysius a bad father. He is doing the best he can and it is clear he is a devoted father, his life is all about making it home to you both but the bigger love of his life is the little girl he helped you bring into this world. He knows how ugly this world can be, he's been out there and seen the worst of the world. All he ever wanted was to protect his little girl from the horrors he's witnessed.' Renard challenged, convinced of her argument after seeing how much time Aloysius spent with his little girl over the last month.  
'But you seem determined to rob Aloysius of the only light he has in his hard life. Only thoughts of his beloved wife and precious little girl kept him going in Yemen, he was going to make it back to you both no matter what. Now you want to make sure he can never see his beautiful little girl again. You've see how much he loves her and yet you still are pushing for full custody.' Libby sighed, shaking her head slowly. 'That's a new level of cold.'  
'Aloysius has already made it perfectly clear that his career is more important that either of us. Of course I'm pushing for full custody. Anything less than that gives him an opportunity to abandon Christine. He will never stop fighting until the day it kills him. I will not let his warrior spirit infect our daughter. She will grow up to be a proper woman.' Mel shot back, her own anger rising as she was challenged.  
'Proper women? Oh, I'm so terribly sorry that our decisions to defend the country we love and fight for the freedoms you enjoy annoys you so much. I'm so sorry that we've realised there are more important things than perfect hair, manicured nails and the latest fashion in clothes. I apologise for decided that bleeding for my country is what I want to do with my life.' Emily scoffed, shoving up her sleeves to reveal dozens of battle scars all over her tan skin. 'At least my life will mean something when I'm dead and gone. I have bled for this country, I am willing to die for this country. If that makes me less of a woman, then so be it.'

Rising up on her toes, Libby leant in to whisper something in Emily's ear. Listening to Libby's plan, Emily nodded slowly. The idea was a low strike against a cruel woman but it was less than Emily felt she deserved. Smirking faintly, Emily winked and nudged Libby with her elbow, letting the shorter woman deliver the heavy blow.  
'It's a shame things didn't turn out like Aloysius expected. He received some Intel that your life was in danger. He's made some powerful enemies, powerful enough to know everything about him and be able to reach anyone they want anywhere in the world. By taking the harsh step of handing him these papers, you have pretty much guaranteed that you will be a target of those enemies. They won't care that you left him, you will still be a very nice prize for them. As for Christine, she'll be lucky to survive to adulthood once Aloysius' enemies realise she is his daughter. They want to break him, her death will do that. And you won't have anywhere to hide.' Libby warned, her usually warm eyes cold and hard.

Their parts said, the three women filed out of the house, but not before finding several of Aloysius' medals and other belongings hanging on the wall in the living room. Totally ignoring Mel's protests, they took the nine frames off the wall and took them away, leaving Mel spluttering in the living room and wondering if she'd made the right decision.


	24. Split Mission Pt 3

It had taken Aloysius a week but he finally felt ready to have a proper look at the divorce papers he'd been handed. This turned out to be a very good idea; Mel had tried to get away with more than she had a right to take. But Aloysius had more than a few return volleys in answer to her ridiculous demands for extra financial support, military payments and other such garbage.

Proving that he could be a real bastard when someone crossed him, Aloysius had called his own lawyer into the debacle, handing over the divorce papers and his insurance policy. Mel had forgotten all about their pre-nuptial agreement, it was just another piece of paper she'd signed in the lead up to their wedding. Aloysius hadn't forgotten about it though, he'd kept it hidden away and made sure it was still there every time he came home.

Now it was Mel that didn't have a leg to stand on. The divorce papers were rewritten to follow the lines of the pre-nuptial, leaving her with what few things she'd had when she'd married Aloysius and a little bit of financial support from him but most of the money ended up going to Christine. Still a toddler and the little girl had her own lawyer to protect her interests and the money her father gave her to cover her education and make sure she was set up for life.

Mel didn't know about the other little surprise Aloysius had set up for Christine. A special something between father and daughter, completely untouchable by Mel. Christine would have access from the time she turned ten but her lawyer would have to co-sign for everything until she turned 21. Until then, all her schooling would be paid for and she would have the very best education. Like her father, Christine would want for nothing growing up.

Aloysius fought Mel on everything, standing his ground on the legal battlefield and forcing her to capitulate to his demands. But there was one thing he didn't fight for, it just about broke him to do it but he knew it wouldn't be smart to fight for that one. The topic of custody came up and Aloysius backed down a little. He didn't push for joint custody; all he asked for were visitation rights when he was on home soil.

Mel tried to force him into supervised visits but Aloysius shot that idea down very quickly. He was a good father and had never done anything to risk Christine's life. Over Mel's protests, Aloysius was given his visitation rights on the provision that he contacted Mel's lawyer and organised it beforehand. That was fine by Aloysius, he was just happy to have visitation rights, he knew it was the best for his daughter.

~!~#~()~#~!~

Two weeks after everything was finalised, Mel had her worldly possessions packed up in the old SUV she'd been allowed to keep and a rented trailer. Standing on the front porch, Aloysius smiled and cuddled Christine close, knowing it would be a while before he saw his little girl again. Word had come down about another mission they were needed for. According to Scarecrow it wouldn't be quite as the briefing had stated but it wasn't going to be as nasty as Antarctica either.

Smiling for a few last precious photos, Aloysius carried Christine over to the car and buckled her in securely, dropping a loving kiss on her forehead. He could feel Mel glaring daggers into his back as he made sure Christine was secure and safe until the next time he could see her.  
'Such a shame Mel, if you'd only had the patience of a real woman you could have been a very wealthy woman. If I had died on active service while you were my wife, you would never have had to lift a finger to have a comfortable life. Now Christine will be the wealthy one and you'll be lucky to get a thousand dollars.' Aloysius taunted, closing the door and waving at Christine.  
'I can still get at your money; Christine will give it to me if I ask.' Mel retorted, leaning against the car and glaring at Aloysius.  
'No, she won't. Christine's lawyer will make sure she understands what the money is for. For now, no one has access to the account but as Christine gets older, she'll be told about the account and will be given limited access. If she gives to you, the account will be sealed against her until she learns the money is hers and only hers.' Aloysius shrugged, heading back towards the house. 'You blew your chance to have access to the Knight fortune.'

Watching Mel leave, Aloysius chuckled and leant back against the nearest post, reasonably happy with how things had turned out. It stung to know he'd lost his little girl but the knowledge that she would be well funded and set for life made it a little easier to handle her loss.  
'What was that about the Knight fortune?' Rufus asked, looking up from where he was sitting on the steps. 'If you feel comfortable talking about it, of course.'  
'It's no real secret; I just don't like making a big fuss about it.' Aloysius shrugged, summoning a smile as his friends gathered around him.  
'What's no real secret?' Shane asked, leaning against the porch railings.  
'Living on an Army pay check is a game for me, I don't have to but I do it because it's more interesting than the alternative.' Aloysius shrugged, shifting against the carved post. 'I don't like people knowing I'm independently wealthy.'  
'Well that explains a few things.' Emily remarked, looking up at Aloysius with a grin. 'Can't think of many soldiers that would bother with a pre-nuptial unless there was a damned good reason.'  
'Like I was going to let her get half of my fortune if we split. I've got plans for that money, once I've finished serving my country.' Aloysius grinned, feeling a little more positive about his life without Mel. 'Christine will be well set up; the four million in her personal account will quickly build.'  
'Four million? If that's what you're giving your little girl, I hate to think what you're actually worth.' Libby swallowed, trying to wrap her mind around the numbers.  
'I'll put it this way, Libby. That's just what I've made on my investments since Christine was born.' Aloysius replied, drawing his knife and cleaning under his nails. 'That give you a bit of an idea what I might be worth?'  
'Fuck me, you must be worth more than anyone expected.' Mother uttered, staring at Knight in disbelief as she thought about the numbers.

Laughing freely, Aloysius slapped Mother on the shoulder and headed inside, finding it easier to start over this time. He was still a free man without the weight of a price on his head so it wasn't such a hardship to lose his family, he could still keep his good life and move into the future.  
'Come on, beers are on me this time.' Aloysius called, disappearing inside with a grin.  
'He's going to be okay.' Rufus nodded, getting up and bounding up the stairs. 'It's still going to be hard with DADT in the way but he'll be okay now.'  
'How do you keep up with his mood swings?' Renard asked, vaulting the porch railing with a boost from Baba.  
'I've had time to get used to them.' Rufus shrugged, ducking inside and holding the door open. 'I have no doubt you'll get used to it as well Renard.'

~!~#~()~#~!~

Repainting the house and making the old family home his own perfect bachelor pad again, Aloysius bounced back better than his friends ever expected him to. Death or divorce, Aloysius had proven to them all that he could survive without his wife and child so long as he had his friends. And they were always there for him, drawing him out into the sunshine and getting him moving when he got lost in his thoughts.

Nine close friends, pulled from so many different backgrounds to share one massive adventure. Nine hearts in harmony, voices rising in challenge when fists started flying and commiserating the losers of the sparring matches that came up whenever there was time. Some were planned, held in the sparring ring in the gym but most of the time the fights were unplanned and so much fun, good friends tussling on the grass.

Rufus blossomed under the watchful eyes of his friends, still keeping up his flight training but he also developed his ground craft, working hard to improve his hand-to-hand scores and spending hours with his companions to get his firearms skills up to par with his better trained companions. Baba showed the ultimate trust in Rufus, allowing the bigger pilot to try a few runs with his Kord. Rufus did extremely well with the big gun, his stature and strength more than enough to wield the powerful weapon like Baba did.

As a gift, Baba presented Rufus with his own Kord and harness system, the pair forming a devastating assault line when they got the big guns barking in harmony. As a full pack, the nine friends became a devastating combat team, everyone sharing their own secrets and creating a unique style that suited their situation. But when the Kord's roared in chorus, the entire base knew that the team was ready for action and getting tired of being cooped up.


	25. Area 7

Hunkered down in a small, dark room, Aloysius dared to click on the flashlight attached to one of his pistols, keeping it pointed at the concrete floor as he looked around. Wherever they were, it looked like their only way out was a ventilation grate overhead.  
'Where do you suppose we are, Boss?' Rufus asked, crouched beside him with his new favourite toy.  
'No idea, buddy.' Aloysius replied, trying his radio. 'Scarecrow, you out there? Fox? Mother? Book II? Falcon? This is Avenger, anyone out there?'  
"Falcon here, Avenger." Emily's response was little more than a whisper. "Don't expect response from primary. I have eyes on the situation."  
'Sitrep.' Aloysius requested, hugging the walls when he heard footsteps overhead.  
"POTUS on deck, accompanied by primary team. No eyes on Baba, Renard or Alley Cat. USAF 7th Spec Ops Squadron on the ground." Falcon briefed, giving Aloysius his first idea of their situation.  
'I have Alley Cat on my flank.' Aloysius nodded, glancing at his buddy with a grin.  
"Copy that, Avenger." Falcon confirmed, sounding a little confused but she was trying to make sense of the mission.  
"Falcon, Avenger, Alley Cat, Renard, Baba - check in." Mother's voice cut across the conversation, trying to locate the rest of their team.  
'Avenger and Alley Cat in standby.' Aloysius replied, really glad to hear another familiar voice.  
'Go ahead, Mother.' Rufus added, letting her know that he actually was there.  
"Baba here, go ahead Mother." Baba replied, his voice echoing a little but at least he was here.  
"I hear you, Mother. Sitrep?" Renard requested, wisely not giving away her location.  
"Falcon in position. What's going on, Mother?" Emily asked, everyone itching for a fight and ready to do whatever it was they were here for.  
"Hold your positions and be ready for the firestorm. Welcome to Area 7, things are about to go to hell. The brief is simple, stay alive against all the trouble we're about to find. I'll let Scarecrow know you're all here, he'll be grateful for the added firepower." Mother briefed, wisely not saying anything too important. "But if any of you can get to the ground floor, we'd be grateful for the help. Minimal weapons and way too many assholes."  
"I have eyes on the ground floor." Emily confirmed, a faint note of laughter in her voice.  
"I have a way up, stand by." Baba added, itching for a fight.  
'Location unknown, will attempt to RV with the main force.' Aloysius shrugged, nudging Rufus and pointing at the vent over their heads.

Easing the grate open, Rufus poked his head out and looked around. Moving slowly so he didn't make any unnecessary noise, Rufus eased the grate off to the side properly and drew his pistol, scanning the room slowly.  
'All clear.' he whispered, climbing up out of their hideaway. 'Looks like we're in some kind of accommodation wing.'  
"That's level three. Stay there and stay out of sight." Scarecrow's voice warned, causing Rufus to freeze. "These assholes we're up against will leave the POTUS and his detail there before the shit hits the fan. You know what to do."  
'Copy that, Scarecrow.' Aloysius replied, handing Rufus his big gun and climbing out of the hole.  
"Whatever you do, make sure the President is safe. America as we know it will be destroyed if his heart stops beating." Scarecrow continued, putting it all on the line for them.  
'Holy shit, no pressure.' Aloysius breathed, closing the grate again. 'We'll handle it, Scarecrow.'  
"14 Type-240 blast plasma warheads, Avenger. Chicago, New York, Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Boston, Philadelphia, St Louis, Denver, Seattle and Detroit. Antarctica was a training game compared to this one." Scarecrow warned, wanting to be absolutely certain Aloysius understood the situation.  
'Appreciate the heads up, Scarecrow. We'll keep the President safe.' Aloysius promised, stunned by what was on the line. 'A little backup would be appreciated though.'  
"I am almost to your position, Avenger." Renard offered, somewhere out in the wider maze of the facility. "I am on the back stairwell, coming up from level 4."

~!~#~()~#~!~

Standing on the ground floor, Mother still couldn't figure out where Emily was hiding. She'd said she had eyes on the ground floor but there were no obvious place for her to be hiding. She couldn't be in the choppers, the Secret Service had checked them over and Scarecrow had also put his trained eye over them to be sure there were no stowaways.

Straightening her cover, Mother looked around again, trying to spot the most likely places for Emily to be hiding. She doubted the younger woman would be in the command building at the end of the hanger, it was a good spot but offered no clear firing positions without first breaking glass and making a scene.  
'Falcon, give me a location.' Mother uttered, trying to stay relaxed but she didn't like this one bit.  
"Go stand by Scarecrow and look towards the command building. Look up, as though you were admiring the second storey." Falcon guided, playing games to hide her location.

Wandering over to where Scarecrow was standing, Mother made it seem perfectly natural as she engaged him in conversation about her husband Ralph but he seemed to realise it was all a ruse. He went along with it though, talking to her and Libby even as Mother scanned the area around the upper storey of the command building slowly.  
'Oh you cheeky bitch.' Mother uttered, spotting a black lump on top of the shipping container slung from the roof mounted cargo rails.  
'What are you going on about Mother?' Scarecrow asked, looking up at her curiously.  
'Look up on the cargo container by the command building.' Mother grinned, looking away before she was caught staring.  
'Who is that?' Libby asked, astounded by the sight of someone hiding up there.  
"Would you three quit staring at my position before you get us busted." Falcon hissed, staying dead still in an attempt to pass as nothing of importance.  
'Sorry Falcon.' Shane muttered, turning away form the container. 'How about you? How'd that check-up on the leg go yesterday?'  
'In a word, Scarecrow, sen-fucking-sational. I got full movement and I can run just as fast as I used to. That seemed to satisfy the docs. Hell, I told 'em that just last week I bowled 275, but that didn't seem to mean much. Either way, since I'm now part machine, I want a new nickname: Darth Fucking Vader.' Mother replied, returning her gaze to Scarecrow with a grin.  
'Okay, Darth.' Scarecrow laughed, pushing aside his concerns about where the rest of the team were hiding. They would turn up when the time was right.

~!~#~()~#~!~

Jumping at the sound of heavy footsteps behind them, Aloysius, Rufus and Renard all turned to the stairwell, weapons up in readiness to deal with whatever threat was coming their way. But instead of trouble, they were confronted with Baba, a little dusty and clearly not impressed with the situation but otherwise in good shape.  
'Do we want to know where you've been, Baba?' Aloysius asked, lowering his shotguns slowly.  
'Probably not. I attempted to get up to ground level but there was no easy way up. Even attempting to use the elevator shaft was a problem.' Baba replied, shaking his head slowly.  
'Scarecrow, respond. This is Avenger.' Aloysius tried, looking up and hoping their radios could get through the heavy concrete all around them.  
"Talk fast, Avenger. We're about to have a big fire fight on our hands up here." Scarecrow replied, clearly agitated and ready to get this fight going.  
'You've got all the help you're going to get up there. Baba attempted to reach your location but failed. Now on standby with my team.' Aloysius briefed, hugging the shadows and waiting for whatever was going to happen. 'Sitrep on your end?'  
"It's about to go down, any minute now. Hold your position until POTUS arrives, then guard him against all comers. He dies or Caesar Russell dies and we're all fucked. We'll handle Russell, you focus on the President. We'll rendezvous later." Scarecrow reported, adding a new twist to their challenge. "I have to go, Avenger. Just stay with the Boss and we'll meet up later."  
'Copy that, Scarecrow.' Aloysius nodded, holstering his shotguns and bringing up his pistols. 'Looks like we've got the fun job. Scarecrow's got his hands full with trouble up top, we're staying down here to protect the POTUS whenever he shows up.'

Securing his Kord to his back, Rufus went for the dual pistols secured on his hips. They were perhaps a little more ornamental than most people would use but to Rufus, the paired .45 pistols were a sign of devotion from the one man who really cared about him.  
'Put the big guns away for now, Baba. We have to protect the President, not run the risk of him catching a stray shot from the heavy weapons.' Rufus warned, dropping into a crouch and moving deeper into the shadows.  
'I know how to wield my Kord, Alley Cat.' Baba replied, tightening his grip on the massive weapon and waiting for action.  
'Baba, you listen to me now.' Aloysius growled, emerging from the shadows. 'If the President dies, my home goes up in a puff of nuclear smoke. He is getting on in years now and I know that it doesn't take much to cause a heart attack in some people. If he is someone with a tendency towards a weak heart, a shot that would be a minor inconvenience to anyone else could kill him. Now pull your head out of your ass and put that oversized monster away.'

Stunned by the barely restrained anger in Aloysius' voice, Baba nodded and secured his Kord against his back, instead going for the Colt .45 on his belt and bringing it up in readiness. Returning the nod, Aloysius faded back into the shadows, his smaller pistols held to his shoulders as they waited for the trouble to begin.

Sure enough, two minutes later the President and his security detail were shown into the room by a man wearing the all black uniform and ERG-9 gas mask of the 7th Special Operations Squadron. Moving quietly, Aloysius led his team forward, slinking into the common room cautiously. They were careful with their movements, hoping to avoid getting into a shoot out with the Presidential detail before the real danger was revealed. With no need to speak, the rest of the secondary teem fell in behind Knight, putting their faith in his leadership when things went to hell.  
"Scarecrow! What the fuck have you gotten us into now?" Emily's voice in his ear gave him a fairly good indication that things had just gone to hell up top.  
"Less talk, more slaughter." Shane barked, sounding more than a little rattled. "Take out the 7th Squadron commandos!"

At the mention of that specific group of crack troops, Aloysius paled and swallowed quickly. He'd had dealings with the 7th Special Operations Squadron, back when he was running with Delta. He really didn't want to be up against them in these tight confines, especially with the President's survival the only thing keeping America safe.  
'Frank, see what's going on-' the President instructed, drawing Knight's focus back to the Secret Service group nearby.  
'What the fuck…' someone else remarked, all eyes drawn to the glowing big screen TV beyond the detail and the Emergency Broadcast System logo on it.  
'Oh shit.' Aloysius whispered, not liking the dark feeling that ran down his back as a face appeared on the screen.  
'What the hell…' the President sounded shocked and confused as he spoke.

Listening to this General Charles Russell talking, Aloysius' blood ran cold. This guy was absolutely insane. Okay sure, Aloysius had his own problems with the US government, but he would never stoop so low as to booby trap a President's heart and hold the country hostage just to get a little payback. Fourteen warheads, fourteen cities, Aloysius didn't even want to think about how many lives could be lost alongside the President if today went badly. This just got serious and extremely personal. Knight wasn't about to stand back and let this madman destroy this country he still held dear despite everything.

The odds were definitely against them though; the nine man Secret service team plus the President, Knight's team of four and Scarecrow's team of five and any other Marines that had also been trapped in here against 50 members of the 7th Special Operations Squadron. At a minimum, they were looking at five to one odds, at worst…well that didn't bear thinking about. Aloysius could only hope that the Secret Service guys weren't as trigger happy as some people he knew. He had no idea what all this business with ex-Senator Jeremiah K. Woolf meant but he didn't really want to know. And just when he thought he had enough to worry about, Russell slapped them with one final problem to deal with. Somehow he'd gotten his hands on the Football and set it up on a ninety minute timer so simply breaking out of the facility and running far away wasn't an option. Shit, now things were really getting tight. He just had to hope that Scarecrow could get the Football, he was going to be busy enough keeping the President safe.

Thinking fast and trying to recall all his command training, Aloysius gestured for Rufus and Jean-Claude to move forward and flank the presidential detail with their Kords. He really wasn't sure about putting the massive weapons up against the P90s of the 7th but it was far better than going against them with pistols. Sending Veronique to support Jean-Claude, he crept closer to the presidential detail with a shotgun in his right hand and a bullstopper loaded pistol in his left.

Swallowing his concerns, he braced his position and lifted his aim as the doors opposite slammed open and the 7th Squadron commandos came storming in, P90s blazing in their hands and faces covered with ERG-6 gas masks.  
'Take 'em down!' Aloysius roared, squeezing both triggers and taking down one commando in a massive spray of blood. 'Protect the President!'  
'Who the hell are you?' someone asked, an Uzi coming dangerously close to Knight's head.  
'We're friends of the Scarecrow.' Aloysius replied, dropping another commando. 'Get out of here! We'll cover!'  
'Move!' one of the Secret Service suits yelled, thrusting the President back as four others stepped up and flipped their coats open to whip out Uzis.

~!~#~()~#~!~

From her perch in the ground level hanger, Emily watched the chaos unfold and scowled as she set up her sniper rifle and put her eye to the scope. She spotted Schofield as he slid under Marine One and swung her sights up, opening fire against the 7th Squadron men trying to kill the Marines caught out in the open. Compared to the whirring drone of the P90s below, her massive Barrett M82 roared with every shot. She wasn't worried about the 7th assholes getting a shot at her, she was well protected up here, stretched out on top of the shipping container and picking her shots with careful planning.

Swinging her aim around again, she nailed one of the assholes with Predator shoulder-mounted missiles but not before he managed to get off a shot towards the room where most of the Marines were gathered. Swearing as she reloaded, she took down another two commandos before keying her mic and scanning the floor again.  
'Scarecrow! What the fuck is going on?' she demanded, nailing another commando before he could take a shot at two Marines running for cover. 'Give me something or cut me loose!'  
"Dot point! Protect the president! Don't kill Cesare Russell! Survive the commandos!" Scarecrow snapped, his voice almost drowned out by the gunfire around the hanger. "Escape before nuke detonates under us!"  
'A nuke? Oh fuck, not again.' Emily groaned, dropping another 7th asshole. 'Anything else?'  
"Secure the Football! We gotta get the Football and the President reunited in 88 minutes or the plasma warheads go off!" Aloysius barked, gunfire echoing across the radio from his end. "It should be up there somewhere!"  
"Oh yeah, that too." Scarecrow added, almost as if that part had slipped his mind.  
'Fuck me, this is a nightmare.' Emily sighed, dropping another commando and looking around quickly. 'Book! Move it! I'll cover!'  
"I've got Elvis with me, Falcon. We're going for the cockroach on Nighthawk 2. Then to the personnel elevator." Buck responded, poking his head out from where he'd taken shelter near the big armoured door.  
'Copy that, I'll cover you as best I can.' Emily nodded, shuffling forward a little and scanning for targets. 'Shit! We just lost Gunman!'  
"Focus Falcon! Protect the team!" Mother barked, her voice rising above the cacophony in Emily's ears. "We're gonna need backup on the next floor down if possible!"  
'I'll see what I can do. No promises.' Emily confirmed, already plotting her next moves.  
"Shit! Alternate exit is no go! Heading back up!" Aloysius warned, keeping the team fully appraised on the situation with the President. "We just lost Frank Cutler."  
"We clear Falcon?" Buck asked, still in his hiding spot with Elvis.  
'Go Book! I got you!' Emily called, keeping her aim sweeping over the area between their hiding spot and the nearby towing vehicle. 'Move fast. I can't take down everyone!'  
"Elvis, you take the wheel! I'll go for the other side!"  
"You got it!"  
"Okay! Now!"

Watching in disbelief as Elvis drove worse than a lunatic, Emily chuckled softly as she continued attempting to snipe the assholes trying to kill her friends. It was getting tougher though, the 7th Squadron commandos had gotten wise to her position and now one of them was lining up on her crate with a fucking Predator missile.  
'Book! Tell your driver to go right!' she snapped, getting to her feet and shouldering her heavy sniper rifle.  
"What? Why the fuck would we want to do that?" Buck asked, looking up sharply.  
'Because I've got to bail and need the distraction!' Emily barked, ducking as P90 fire raked along the top of her container. "I need nighthawk between my container and the shaft!"  
"Elvis! Go right!"

Swearing up a storm, Emily sprinted along the top of her container perch and flew out across the open air. Arms spreading as she dropped, she sailed down and out from the container, her flight backlit by the explosion of the container she'd just left behind. Her aim was dead on target, feet smacking against the folded rotors of Nighthawk Two before the rotors recoiled and sent her flying into the air again. Flipping over, she launched three gleaming shuriken across the hanger, burying the deadly blades into the throats of three very unlucky 7th Squadron goons before she disappeared down the wide mouth of the aircraft elevator shaft.  
"Falcon!" Buck cried, briefly distracted by her showy exit. "Shit! I lost Falcon!"  
'I'm okay Book. Had to get out of there before those bastards realised who I was.' Emily replied, sending a wave of relief through the team. 'We've had run ins before.'  
"Falcon, would I be correct in assuming that's you hanging on that aircraft door?" Shane asked, his voice a bare whisper in her ear.  
'Yeah, that's me Scarecrow.' Emily confirmed, clinging tightly to her only lifeline as she twisted around to scan behind her. 'Would I be correct in assuming that's you over there?'  
"Yeah, with Mother, Fox and Brainiac. We're heading your way, mind opening the door for us?" Schofield confirmed, looking across the chasm towards her.  
'Sure, I can do that.' Emily nodded, walking across the wall and smacking the button to open the door she was hanging from.

As soon as the gap was big enough, she played out her Maghook line and kicked off the door as she drew her favourite Desert Eagle pistol. Swinging back in, she slid under the door and deactivated the magnet as she scanned the area for enemy troops.  
"Sitrep, Falcon." Schofield requested, still making his way towards her position.  
'Another hanger, looks bigger than the ground level. No bogies in sight. Got eyes on an AWACS along with a couple of B-2s and an SR-71.' Emily reported, staying close to the door and scanning the area slowly. 'Avenger, sitrep.'  
"En-route to five. Could use some extra firepower here, we're in the middle of a bogie sandwich." Aloysius reported, his voice almost drowned out by gunfire. "Baba and Alley Cat both injured. We need help down here."  
"We're on our way Avenger. I've got Elvis, Calvin and Love Machine alongside. RV Level 5." Buck answered, sounding a little out of breath but at least he was safe.  
"Copy that, we'll be there." Aloysius replied, sounding a little more confident now that he knew he had backup on the way. "I really fucking hate you right now Scarecrow."  
"I hate to think how you'll feel by the end of this clusterfuck." Libby remarked, still shuffling along the cabling gutter. "It's only going to get worse from here out."  
"Focus, people. We'll survive this somehow." Rufus cut in, voice tight with pain.


End file.
